Jack the Ripper- Why did the Whitechapel murders attract so much attention?

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Gary Cummins                                      Candidate no. 1036                      Centre no. 61121

Jack the Ripper- Why did the Whitechapel murders attract so much attention?

Jack the Ripper is probably the most infamous serial killer the world has known. He was the first recorded serial killer to be known in Britain and his killing’s shocked not only the British public, but the people of other nations to. Communication was basic in 19th century but news of Jack the Ripper spread worldwide. The fact that Jack the Ripper was never caught further gave the media the opportunity hype up stories and create a major panic. As news papers do in modern society, stories were exaggerated beyond truth. This attracted more buyers for newspapers and any one who was slightly suspicious was accused of being the Ripper. At the beginning of the murders nobody seemed to care about the fact that all the victims were prostitutes and that the reason for their murders were motiveless, however soon after many people began to recognise the coincidences between the victims mutilations and horror of each murders attracted a high magnitude of attention after this.

Whitechapel was a downtrodden area in the East-End of London. The streets of Whitechapel were filthy and the smell of sewage and excrement filled the air. There were many alleyways and back roads to navigate the East-End. This made it easier for criminals to operate and carry out criminal activity. The population of the East End in 1888 was about 900,000. The police estimated the number of prostitutes in the area was around 1,200. Poverty was also very high in England at the time, especially in the East End of London. It was suggested that men from the West End of London (then the richest area), only came into the East-End for prostitution and other illegal activities. People from outside the East-End saw Whitechapel as a dirty haven for drunks and prostitutes. Newspapers described Whitechapel as an 'apocalypse of evil'. Others saw the people of Whitechapel as dirty, diseased and penniless. Crime was the main game in Whitechapel, this and violence also tarnished the ever-so-bad reputation of the East End.

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Jack’s first two victims were prostitutes, and were found with their throats slashed and several stab wounds. The first victim was name Mary Ann Nichols. She had last been seen exiting her work house after running out of payment money. Her mutilated body lay lifeless on Buck Row, Whitechapel in the early hours of Friday 31st August, 1888. Annie Chapman the second victim had her small intestine removed. Her body to, had been found mutilated. She lay dead in Hanbury street, Whitechapel. She was found in the early hours of September 8th, 1888. By now the details of the murders had ...

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