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'She killed not from hate but from love': motherhood, melodrama and mercy killing in the case of May Brownhill
This article examines press portrayals of and public reactions to a ‘mercy killing’ in 1930s England. May Brownhill, sixty-two, killed her ‘invalid’ adult son by giving him an overdose of aspirin and poisoning him with coal gas. Through the conventions of melodrama, May was portrayed in the press as a respectable, devoted and self-sacrificial mother deserving of sympathy. The case also resonated with contemporary debates about euthanasia. It is an historical example of popular leniency, whereby although guilty of a crime, an individual is not seen as deserving of punishment. The case contributes to our understanding of how popular leniency was shaped by gender, class and age, and by contemporary views on ‘mercy killing’.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Women's History ReviewISSN
0961-2025Publisher
Taylor & FrancisExternal DOI
Issue
5Volume
27Page range
669-687Department affiliated with
- Sociology and Criminology Publications
Research groups affiliated with
- Centre for Gender Studies Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2017-07-31First Open Access (FOA) Date
2018-11-30First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2017-07-31Usage metrics
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