Children who kill

by Patrick Wilson

Murder is always abhorrent but especially so whenever a child is involved, either as victim, or - more unnerving perhaps - as aggressor. The author studied over 50 case histories in an attempt to show the underlying causes behind child violence. He explains the legal position for the child offender under English law and the changing legal and social attitudes towards these children over the previous 2 centuries is clearly shown. Few of the cases will be familiar to the general reader, with the exception of Mary Bell's and the author gives a compassionate account of the child murderer who, more than any other criminal, is in desperate need of society's help and tolerance.

Includes Harold Jones (1921), Adam Lee (1945), The Approved School Break-0ut (1941), The Queer-Bash Killing (1970), Juliet Marion Hulme (1954, New Zealand), Steven Murray Truscott (1959, Canada). With Appendix (The Capital Punishment of Children) and Sources.

Over fifty case histories which attempt to show the underlying causes behind child violence. The author explains the legal position of the child offender under English law and the changing legal and social attitudes over the period from 1743 to 1963, with cases from the U.K., Germany, United States, New Zealand, Canada, Holland etc. Includes Mary Bell and Juliet Marion Hulme (1954 New Zealand murder by two schoolgirls) but the majority of cases are less well known, though equally important to the study. Appendix covers The Capital Punishment of Children.

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973