Jack the Ripper’s Victims: The Untold Stories
The True Stories of Jack the Ripper’s Victims
Contrary to popular belief, the five women who fell victim to Jack the Ripper were not all prostitutes. They were individuals from diverse backgrounds, united by their struggles and their tragic ends.
The Myth of Prostitution
Maya Crockett of Stylist debunks the myth that Jack the Ripper’s victims were all prostitutes. In reality, only one of the five, Mary Jane Kelly, was a sex worker at the time of her murder. Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, and Catherine Eddowes had no evidence linking them to prostitution.
Poverty and Abuse: The Common Thread
Daisy Goodwin of The Times notes that the common thread among these five women was not their occupation, but their shared experiences of poverty and hardship. Born into poverty or reduced to it later in life, they endured faithless and abusive husbands, endless cycles of childbearing and childrearing, and alcohol addiction.
Polly Nichols: From Respectability to Homelessness
Polly Nichols, the Ripper’s first victim, was born into a blacksmith’s family and raised in a respectable neighborhood. However, her husband’s infidelity and her own disgust at his behavior led her to leave home for a workhouse, where she eventually ended up on the streets of Whitechapel.
Annie Chapman: Alcoholism and a Fallen Life
Annie Chapman, the Ripper’s second victim, had the potential for a middle-class life, but her addiction to alcohol destroyed her. She lost six of her eight children to health issues related to her alcoholism, and her marriage crumbled. By the end of her life, she was a “fallen woman,” living on the streets of Whitechapel.
Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes: Mental Health and Domestic Abuse
Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes, victims three and four, were murdered within hours of each other. Stride had a troubled past, potentially including mental health issues and syphilis. Eddowes, on the other hand, came from a more stable background but suffered abuse from her common-law partner.
Mary Jane Kelly: The Ripper’s Last Victim
Mary Jane Kelly, the Ripper’s last victim, was the only one to be labeled a prostitute on her death certificate. She was significantly younger than the other victims, at just 25 years old. While there is limited reliable information about her life, research suggests she may have narrowly escaped sex traffickers.
Silencing the Ripper: The Importance of Victim Stories
Hallie Rubenhold, author of “The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper,” emphasizes the importance of bringing the victims’ stories to life. By doing so, we can silence the Ripper and the misogyny he represents, and shed light on the societal issues that continue to impact women today.