The above quote typifies the recurring theme of Mary Bell's life story who, at age 11 years, strangled two little boys aged 3 and 4. What happened to Mary Bell from the moment of her birth and which influenced her maturing awareness, can only be guessed at. A life of unrelenting abuse is, however, the sad lot of numerous, potentially normal, healthy children whose personal experience with violence leads, as in the above example, to an exceptional form of retaliatory behaviour. According to the author Gitta Sereny, the 11-year-old Mary was not a murderess but a severely damaged child whom no one helped in her despair and who was unable to realize her intrinsic potential. However, it must be said that Sereny's point of view is grounded in the belief of the innate goodness of all human beings, a belief which is open to challenge. In instances of unwitnessed murder, where no one knows what really transpired, there cannot be clearcut explanations. It is possible that Mary Bell's adult memory was distorted and questionable as to detail. We must also be aware that by placing the violator centre stage we, by inference, deny the victim's full significance and may be committing an ethical breach of justice.