Why Are Female Serial Killers More Dangerous? Terrifying Truth Revealed in Research

Serial killers are a major threat to society. However, when a woman becomes a serial killer, she becomes more dangerous than a man. She is also harder to catch.

When serial killers are mentioned, a male figure often comes to mind. It is commonly believed that only men can be serial killers. However, history records several women as serial killers. Experts say that female serial killers are more terrifying than their male counterparts. Their methods of carrying out crimes differ from men's, making them harder to catch.

'Loved Ones' Become Victims

According to a Mirror UK report, research in crime investigations suggests that male serial killers are more likely to target strangers. Female serial killers, on the other hand, are the opposite. They are twice as likely to murder someone they know.

Belief in Sudden Attacks

Research also indicates that approximately 65.4 percent of male serial killers stalked their victims in some way before targeting them. Among female offenders, this figure was a mere 3.6%. Female serial killers tend to attack suddenly. British history has recorded several female serial killers who carried out crimes that shook the nation.

UK's First Serial Killer

In British history, Mary Ann Cotton is recorded as the first female serial killer. Born in West Auckland in 1832, Cotton is said to have killed her three husbands, ten children, a lover, and even her own mother. She then systematically claimed the life insurance of each victim. Cotton murdered approximately 21 people but was convicted of only one murder. She used readily available poison to kill her victims.

Children Murdered

In the 1960s, the UK saw the terror of another female serial killer. Myra Hindley, along with her partner, murdered several children. After sexually abusing the children, they were buried. She was convicted in 1966 and died in prison in 2002. Similarly, Rose West, along with her husband Fred West, murdered several women and young girls. She later committed suicide in prison.

Nurse Becomes Ruthless Killer

Beverley Allitt, a nurse by profession, murdered at least four children and attempted to kill several others in the 1990s. Allitt administered drugs and injected air into the children. In 1993, she was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Similarly, in 2023, Lucy Letby was arrested on charges of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others. Lucy Letby was also a nurse by profession. Between 2015 and 2016, she murdered children by poisoning them with insulin and obstructing their airways. While women are generally considered less violent, these incidents demonstrate that violent tendencies are not based on gender.