Ian Huntley, one of Britain’s most notorious child killers, died on Saturday following an attack in prison where he was serving a life sentence, police said. The 52-year-old was convicted of the murder of 10-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002, in a case that horrified the country.
Huntley suffered serious injuries when he was assaulted at Frankland maximum security prison in the northeastern English city of Durham on February 26. He ‘died in hospital this morning,’ a spokesperson for the local police force said in a statement emailed to AFP.
Ian Huntley’s Notorious Crime
Huntley killed the two best friends after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in the village of Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4, 2002. Their disappearance sparked a massive search involving hundreds of police officers and appeals for help. A photograph of the two girls wearing matching Manchester United football tops became instantly recognizable to many Britons.
Their bodies were found almost two weeks later, dumped in a ditch several miles away. Huntley, then a 28-year-old school caretaker, aroused the suspicion of police after he gave media interviews claiming to be concerned for the girls’ welfare. He denied murdering them but was convicted at trial in 2003.
Consequences of the Crime
Revelations that Huntley had been the subject of prior rape and sexual assault complaints led to the establishment of criminal checks for anyone working with children. His girlfriend at the time, Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant at the girls’ school, gave Huntley a false alibi and was jailed for perverting the course of justice. She now lives under a new identity.
According to the UK government’s official website, the case led to a major overhaul of the childcare system. The BBC reported that Huntley had been attacked before in prison, most seriously in 2005 and 2010.
Here are some key facts about the case:
- Huntley was convicted of the murder of two 10-year-old girls
- He was sentenced to life in prison
- The case led to changes in childcare laws
- Huntley was attacked in prison several times
A police investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing, and prosecutors will consider bringing charges against his assailant.
