Why Did The Whitechapel Murders Attract So Much Attention?

Authors Avatar

Why Did The Whitechapel Murders

Attract So Much Attention?

In Whitechapel at the time prostitution was a common thing. There were hundreds of women that had to resort to this just to make a living. It was not unheard of for occasionally a prostitute to be beaten or murdered. Usually this kind of thing would be logged but go unnoticed to the public. But when the ripper murders began the public soon new of them and the atrociousness.

At the time crimes were common and criminals were plentiful. They did not have the technology we have such as forensics or cctv cameras but they could still catch criminals. Usually by catching them in the act or by using eye witnesses and passers bye. One of the main factors that made jack the ripper so well known was that the police didn’t know who he was. It was like a detective story, they had suspects but could never be sure about any of them. This created mystery around the case and im sure the public lapped it up.

Join now!

Most crimes of the time were only small and petty. Performed usually on the spur of the moment. They included such things as assault, drunk and disorderly behaviour, burglary and stealing of money. When the ripper killing arose the police and the public had encountered a new type of crime. Brutal serial killing. This kind of violence and brutality had never been seen before in murders. This also made the public very interested in the murders. You could compare it to a motorway crash, everyone slows down to see the scene just  to get a glimpse of some gore. ...

This is a preview of the whole essay