Mary Bell was a young girl who, at the age of 11, killed two young boys in the city of Newcastle, England in 1968. The case of Mary Bell drew international attention due to the age of the perpetrator and the brutality of the crimes.

Mary Bell was born in 1957 in a working-class area of Newcastle. Her mother, Betty Bell, was a prostitute and her father was unknown. Mary's childhood was marked by neglect and abuse, with her mother prostituting her to various men at a young age.

In 1968, when Mary was 11 years old, she and a friend, Norma Bell (no relation), began committing acts of vandalism in their neighborhood. On May 25th, Mary and Norma entered an abandoned house and, while playing a game of "crown and glory," strangled 4-year-old Martin Brown to death. Two months later, on July 31st, the girls killed 3-year-old Brian Howe in a similar manner.

The police were able to link Mary and Norma to the murders through fingerprints and other evidence found at the crime scenes. Norma was acquitted, but Mary was found guilty of manslaughter (instead of murder) due to her young age and history of abuse and neglect. She was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 12 years.

After serving her sentence, Mary Bell was released from prison in 1980 and given a new identity to protect her from public wrath and vigilantism. She has since rebuilt her life and had a daughter.

The case of Mary Bell raises important questions about the responsibility and culpability of children who commit heinous crimes. It also highlights the role of a traumatic childhood in the development of violent behavior. Mary Bell's actions were clearly the result of a combination of her troubled upbringing and her young age, and the criminal justice system took these factors into account in her sentencing.

The case also sparked a debate about whether children who commit murder should be tried as adults. In the United Kingdom, the age of criminal responsibility is 10, but some argue that this is too low and that children under the age of 14 should not be held responsible for their actions in the same way as adults.

The case of Mary Bell is a tragic and complex one, involving a young girl who was both victim and perpetrator. It serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing the root causes of violent behavior, rather than simply punishing the individuals who commit these crimes.