British child killer Mary Bell and her teenage daughter today won their High Court bid for lifelong anonymity.
Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, President of the Family Division, heard that disclosure of 46-year-old Bell's current identity and whereabouts would lead to harassment.
She said: "Exceptionally, I shall therefore grant injuntions contra mundum to protect the anonymity of X (Bell) and Y (the daughter)."
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She said the granting of the injunctions was for reasons that were different from those behind her similar decision in the case of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, the killers of James Bulger.
"As far as I am aware, there are at present no other child killers who have been released from prison or detention.
"The granting of the relief sought by the claimants in this case is not, and is not to be taken to be, a broadening of the principles of the law of confidence nor an increase in the pool of those who might in the future be granted protection against potential breaches of confidence."
It was in December 1968 that 11-year-old Bell was convicted of the manslaughter of Martin Brown, four, and Brian Howe, three. She was sentenced to be detained "at Her Majesty's Pleasure" and was released on licence in 1980.
Both Bell and her "innocent child" - who turns 19 on May 25th - are protected under existing injunctions.
The press did not contest the proceedings and the Attorney General, representing the public interest, did not oppose an injunction under Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention, which requires respect for someone's private and family life.
Dame Elizabeth said that, despite media interest, Bell had been able to live a largely settled life in the community, although there had been a number of changes of identity and moves.
She had now lived in the community for 23 years and she and her partner had created a family life and brought up her daughter, who had developed into a "charming and well-balanced girl".
She accepted evidence that mother and daughter were at "considerable risk of press intrusion and harassment, public stigma and ostracism" if their identities were disclosed.
Bell, she added, was a "vulnerable personality with mental health problems" and the prospect of "such intrusion" had already had an adverse effect upon her mental and physical health.
She went on: "Children who kill have a fascination for the public.
"It is the negation of all we would like to believe childhood should be.
"We like to live with the illusion of childhood innocence and the reality is both shocking and intriguing.
"Each time a child killer is tried or is the subject of publicity, the press tend to refer to earlier, similar cases."
She said that during the trial of Thompson and Venables, and on some subsequent occasions on which they had received publicity, the case of Mary Bell again became news.
"Although X killed these two small children 35 years ago, the case remains of interest to the press and, apparently, to the public."
PA