Tuesday 6 February 2018

Clara Humphries Victorian child murderess

Clara Humphries aged 21years and 8 months, a domestic servant, was committed to prison for the attempted murder of her illegitimate child by strangulation in 1882.



On the day in question she was observed by her mistress, Mrs Young, to be unwell, and was directed to go to bed. Mrs Young followed Clara and while she was in the room she heard the cry of a child, which was in a box, with a piece of tape fastened round it's neck.

The baby had lived for several hours afterwards, and, according to the medical evidence, death resulted from extravasation of blood to the brain.

The defence was that the extravasation was the result of an accident during birth and that the application of the tape round the neck was done during a paroxysm of insanity.

The jury found the prisoner guilty but recommended her to mercy. Clara was sentenced to serve five years penal servitude.

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