We all tend to focus on the evil men in the world and forget some of the truly evil women that have lived. I hope to correct that with this list. Here we have not just serial killers, but other utterly despicable women who have caused tragedy in many people’s lives. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 most evil women in history.
10. Queen Mary I [Born: 1516; Died: 1558]
Mary (first child of Henry VIII), the fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, after the uncrowned Jane Grey and before Elizabeth I, is remembered for briefly returning England to Roman Catholicism. To this end, she had numerous religious dissenters executed; as a consequence, she is often known as Bloody Mary. Numerous Protestant leaders were executed in the so-called Marian Persecutions. Many rich Protestants chose exile and around 800 left the country.
9. Myra Hindley [Born: 1942; Died: 2002]
Myra Hindley was an English serial killer involved in the “Moors murders” with her partner Ian Brady. Together, Brady and Hindley took part in the abduction, sexual abuse, torture, and murder of three children, aged 10-12, and two adolescents, aged 16 and 17, from the Manchester area. Hindley was arrested when a suitcase containing incriminating evidence was recovered from the left-luggage depot at Manchester Central Station. Part of the evidence was a tape recording of the murder of one of their victims in which the girl is heard screaming whilst Hindley and Brady torture her. During her five final days of freedom, she developed an arrogant attitude which was subsequently regarded as her trademark. In a 2006 television documentary about Hindley’s years behind bars, Police secretary Sandra Wilkinson said that she distinctly remembered Hindley and her mother Nellie, leaning against the wall of the courthouse and eating a cream cake. While her mother appeared to be in obvious distress, Hindley seemed to be almost indifferent to her situation.
8. Isabella of Castile [Born: 1451; Died: 1504]
Isabella I of Spain and her husband, Ferdinand II of Aragon, laid the foundation for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Carlos I of Spain (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor). She is well known as the patron of Christopher Columbus. At her request, Tomás de Torquemada became the first Inquisitor General of the Spanish Inquisition and began a policy of religious cleansing. On March 31, 1492, the Alhambra Decree for the expulsion of the Jews and Muslims was issued. Approximately 200,000 people left Spain. Others converted, often only to be persecuted further by the Inquisition investigating Judaizing conversos. In 1974, Pope Paul VI opened her cause for beatification. This places her on the path toward possible sainthood. In the Catholic Church, she is thus titled Servant of God.
7. Beverly Allitt [Born: 1968]
Beverley Gail Allitt, dubbed the ‘Angel of Death’, was an English paediatric nurse who was convicted of killing four children and injuring five others, in 1991, on the children’s ward of Grantham and Kesteven Hospital, Lincolnshire where she worked. She has since become one of Britain’s most notorious female serial killers. Her main method of murder was to inject the child with insulin or potassium to cause cardiac arrest; when unable to obtain the injections, she suffocated the child. Allitt had attacked thirteen children, four fatally, over a fifty-eight day period before she was brought up on charges for her crimes. Allitt’s motives have never been fully explained. According to one theory, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy explains her actions. This controversial personality disorder is described as involving a pattern of abuse in which a perpetrator physically falsifies illnesses in someone under their care, in order to attract attention.
6. Belle Gunness [Born: 1859; Died: 1931]
Belle Gunness was one of America’s most profligate known female serial killers. At 6 ft (1.83 m) tall and over 200 lb (91 kg), she was a powerful Norwegian-American woman. She may have killed both of her husbands and all of her children (on different occasions), but she is known to have killed most of her suitors, boyfriends, and her two daughters Myrtle and Lucy. Her apparent motives involved collecting life insurance benefits. Reports estimate that she killed more than twenty people over several decades–some claim more than one hundred–and possibly got away with it. She became part of American criminal folklore, a female Bluebeard.
5. Mary Ann Cotton [Born: 1832; Died: 1873]
Mary Ann Cotton was an English serial killer believed to have murdered up to 20 people, mainly by arsenic poisoning. Mary Ann, aged 20, married William Mowbray and they moved to Plymouth, Devon. The couple had five children, four of whom died from gastric fever or stomach pains. William and Mary Ann moved back to the North East and she had another three children, all of whom died. He died of an intestinal disorder in January 1865. William’s life was insured by the British and Prudential Insurance office and Mary Ann collected a payout of £35 on his death. It was to become a familiar theme. Her second husband, George Ward, also died of intestinal problems, as did one the two of her remaining living children. After the death of yet another child, the local newspapers latched on to the story and discovered Mary Ann had moved around northern England and lost three husbands, a lover, a friend, her mother and a dozen children, all of whom had died of stomach fevers. She was hanged at Durham County Gaol on 24 March, 1873. She died slowly, the hangman having misjudged the drop required for a “clean” execution.
4. Ilse Koch [Born: 1906; Died: 1967]
Koch was the wife of Karl Koch, the commandant of the concentration camps Buchenwald from 1937 to 1941 and Majdanek from 1941 to 1943. Ilse is infamous for taking souvenirs from the skin of murdered inmates with distinctive tattoos. She was variously known as “the Witch of Buchenwald” (”Die Hexe von Buchenwald”) and “the Bitch of Buchenwald” (”Buchenwälder Schlampe”) by the inmates because of her sadistic cruelty and lasciviousness toward prisoners. In 1937 she came to Buchenwald not as a guard, but as the wife of the commandant. There, influenced by her husband and her power, she began torturing the inmates of the camp. In 1940 she built an indoor sports arena, which cost over 250,000 marks, most of which were taken from the inmates. In 1941 Ilse became an Oberaufseherin (”chief overseer”) over the few female guards who served at the camp. She committed suicide by hanging herself at Aichach women’s prison on September 1, 1967.
3. Irma Grese [Born: 1923; Died: 1945]
Geese “worked” at the Nazi concentration camps of Ravensbrück, Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. Dubbed the “Bitch of Belsen” by camp inmates for her cruel and perverse behaviour, she is one of the most notorious of the female Nazi war criminals. In March 1943, Grese was transferred as a female guard to Auschwitz, and by the end of that year she was Senior Supervisor, the second highest ranking woman at the camp, in charge of around 30,000 Jewish female prisoners. In January 1945, Grese briefly returned to Ravensbrück before ending her wartime career at Bergen-Belsen as a Work Service Manager from March to April, being captured by the British April 17, 1945. The accusations against her centred on her ill-treatment and murder of those imprisoned at the camps, including setting dogs on inmates, shootings and sadistic beatings with a whip. Survivors provided extensive details of murders, tortures, cruelties and sexual excesses engaged in by Grese during her years at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. They testified to her acts of sadism, beatings and arbitrary shooting of prisoners, savaging of prisoners by her trained and half starved dogs, and her selecting prisoners for the gas chambers. Grese was reported to have habitually worn heavy boots and carried a whip and a pistol. She used both physical and emotional methods to torture the camp’s inmates and allegedly enjoyed shooting prisoners in cold blood. She beat some women to death and whipped others using a plaited whip.
2. Katherine Knight [Born: 1956]
Katherine Knight is the first Australian woman to be jailed for the term of her natural life. She was convicted in October 2001 of the murder of her de facto husband, John Charles Thomas Price. According to the Apprehended Violence Order that Price had filed against Knight, she had a previous history of violence in relationships; she had smashed the dentures of one of her ex-husbands, and slashed the throat of another husband’s eight-week-old puppy before his eyes. Price had also received death threats from her on previous occasions. On or about 29 February 2000, Knight stabbed Price to death with a butcher’s knife while chasing him around their home. The autopsy revealed that Price had been stabbed at least 37 times, in both the front and back of his body. Many of the wounds were deep and extended into vital organs. After Price was killed, Knight skinned him and hung his skin from a meat hook on the architrave of a door in their living room. She then decapitated him and placed the head in a pot on the stove, baked flesh from his buttocks, and prepared vegetables and gravy to serve as a meal to his children, which was accompanied by vindictive notes from Knight. Police found the meal before the children arrived home.
1. Elizabeth Bathory [Born: 1560; Died: 1614]
Bathory was a Hungarian countess. She is considered the most infamous serial killer in Hungarian and Slovak history and is remembered as the Bloody Lady of Čachtice (Csejte), after the castle near Trenčín (Trencsén), in Royal Hungary, in present-day Slovakia, where she spent most of her life. After her husband’s death, she and her four alleged collaborators were accused of torturing and killing dozens of girls and young women. In 1610, she was imprisoned in Čachtice Castle, where she remained until her death three years later. Her nobility allowed her to avoid trial and execution. In 1610, King Matthias (spurred on by rumors) sent men to investigate Bathory. The men reportedly found one girl dead and one dying. Another woman was found wounded, others locked up. Her initial victims were local peasant girls, many of whom were lured to Čachtice by offers of well-paid work as maidservants in the castle. Later she may have begun to kill daughters of lower gentry, who were sent to her gynaeceum by their parents to learn courtly etiquette. Abductions seem to have occurred as well. The most consistently described atrocities collected from testimony of witnesses are: severe beatings over extended periods of time, often leading to death, burning or mutilation of hands, sometimes also of faces and genitalia, biting the flesh off the faces, arms and other bodily parts, starving of victims. The use of needles was also described. The number of young women tortured and killed by Elizabeth Báthory is unknown, though it is often cited as being in the hundreds, between the years 1585 and 1610. The idea that Countess Bathory bathed in the blood of her victims is folklore. Elizabeth was never brought to trial but remained under house arrest in a single room until her death.
Note: In order to clear one point up, Lizzie Borden is not on this list because she was found innocent of the murder of her parents.
译文:
史上十大女魔头黑名单
我们总是关注世界上邪恶的男人，却忘了那些曾出现过的真正的恶女。我希望能用这个名单来更正这点。这张名单上没有连环杀收,但是却有一些给人们生活带来不幸的卑劣女人。所以，现在废话少说，马上宣布历史上最邪恶的十个女人。
10. Queen Mary I （1516-1558）
玛丽（亨利八世的第一个孩子），继未加冕的Jane Grey后成为都铎王朝的第四代君主，是伊利莎白一世的前任，她把英格兰变成罗马天主教信徒，人们至今耿耿于怀。为此，她处死了众多的反对者；结果，她以血腥玛丽而闻名。大量新教徒领导在所谓的玛丽亚迫害中丧命。许多富有的新教徒选择背井离乡，大约有800多人离开了英格兰。
9. Myra Hindley （1942-2002）
英国连环杀手Myra Hindley和她的拍档Ian Brady共同导演了“沼泽凶杀” 。Brady和Hindley利绑架了曼彻斯特地区3名10-12岁儿童和两名16岁和17岁少年，并进行性虐待、非人折磨，最后杀害了他们。在曼彻斯特中心车站的行李寄放处，一个装有犯罪证据的手提箱被发现，Hindley因此落入法网。证据中有一盘录音带，记录了杀害一名受害者的过程，其中包括Hindley and Brady折磨这名受害女孩的时她发出的惨叫。在服刑前的最后五天中，Hindley态度越发傲慢，后来成为了她的标志形象。2006 年，一部关于Hindley狱中生活的电视纪录片中，警察秘书的Sandra Wilkinson说她仍清晰记得Hindley和她的母亲Nellie，她靠在法庭的墙壁上吃奶油蛋糕。她母亲显得很悲痛，但Hindley对此漠不关心。
8. Isabella of Castile （1451-1504）
西班牙的伊莎贝尔一世和她的丈夫阿拉贡王国的费迪南二世，为了他们孙子——卡洛斯一世（查尔斯四世，神圣罗马帝国皇帝）统一西班牙奠定了基础。众所周知，她赞助了Christopher Columbus的新大陆之行。她任命Tomás de Torquemada 为西班牙宗教裁判所的第一位总检察官，并开始了宗教大清洗。1492年3月31日，她颁布了驱逐犹太人和穆斯林的阿尔汉布拉法令。大约有20万人离开了西班牙。其余人改变了信仰，但由于宗教裁判所对犹太教徒的调查，结果仍被迫害。在974年，罗马教皇保罗 6 世为她举行宣福礼。此举让她在天之灵踏上圣徒之路。这样在天主教堂中，她就是上帝的仆人了。
7. Beverly Allitt（1968——）
有“死亡天使”之称的Beverley Gail Allitt，是一位英国儿科护士，她被控于1991年在她工作的Grantham 和 Kesteven医院的儿科病房中她杀害四名儿童并杀害其他五名。自此她成了英国最臭名昭著的女性连环杀手。她谋杀手段主要是为孩子注入胰岛素或钾，导致心脏停跳；如果拿不到注射剂，她就闷死孩子。受审前，Allitt在58天内袭击了13名儿童，其中4名死亡。没有人能说清她的作案动机。有一种说法说，孟乔森综合病征（又称伪病或诈病）可以解释她的行为。这种颇有争议的人格错乱中，作案者谎称其看护下的人患有疾病，以此作为行凶的借口，其实是为了引起人们的注意。
6. Belle Gunness (1859-1931)
Belle Gunness 是美国最放荡的著名连环杀手之一。她身高1.83米，重91公斤，是一名强壮的挪威籍美国女人。她可能已经杀害了她的两任丈夫和所有的孩子（在不同地点），但人们所知道的是她杀害了大多数追求者、男朋友，还有两个女儿（Myrtle和 Lucy）。她表面上的动机是为了骗取被害人的人寿保险。一些报道估计她几十年来杀了20多人，有的甚至说她杀了100人，可能是侥幸条拖了。她在美国犯罪传奇中的女版蓝胡子。
5. Mary Ann Cotton（1832-1873）
Mary Ann Cotton是一名英国连环杀手，她用砒霜毒杀了20多人。Mary Ann20岁时和William Mowbray结婚，他们搬到了德文郡的普利茅斯。这对夫妻生了五个孩子，其中四个因胃灼热和胃痛夭折。William和Mary Ann搬回了东北部，此后她又有了3个孩子，然而这三个孩子也都死了。1865年1月，William死于肠绞痛。William在英国Prudential保险公司办理了人寿保险，Mary Ann因为William的死获益35英镑。然而类似的案件又发生了。Mary Ann的第二任丈夫，George Ward，也死于肠道疾病，她剩下的一双孩子中的一个也遭此不幸。另一个孩子又离世后，当地报纸开始关注此事，他们发现玛丽安在北英格兰四处搬家，已经失去了三个丈夫、一个情人、一个朋友、她的母亲和十二个孩子，所有死者的死因都是胃发烧。1873年3月24日，玛丽安在Durham 郡监狱被绞死。由于绞刑人理解错误，玛丽安过了几分钟才断气。
4. Ilse Koch（1906-1967）
Koch是Karl Koch的妻子，Karl Koch是Buchenwald集中营（1937－1941)和Majdanek集中营(1941-1943)的司令官。Ilse因为喜欢收藏死刑犯的纹身皮肤而臭名昭著。俘虏们叫她“Buchenwald女魔头”和“Buchenwald荡妇”，因为她残忍淫荡，对犯人虐待成性。1937年她以司令官夫人的身份来到Buchenwald 时，而并不是一个看守。在那里，她仗着丈夫和自己的权势，疯狂折磨集中营里的俘虏。1940年她花了25万马克建立了室内竞技场，这些钱都是从俘虏那儿抢来的。1941年Ilse成了集中营里为数廖廖的几个女看守的头儿。1967年9月1日，她在Aichach女子监狱上吊自杀。
Grese在Ravensbrück, Auschwitz和 Bergen-Belsen的纳粹集中营工作。由于其残酷变态的行径，俘虏们怒骂她是“Belsen婊子”，她是恶名昭彰的纳粹女战犯之一。1943年，Grese被调到Auschwitz当看守，到年底是她已经身为高级督查，是集中营里级别第二的女长官，掌管着3万名犹太女囚犯。1945年1月，她回到了Ravensbrück ，3月到4月她在Bergen-Belsen任工作服务总管，并在那里告别了她的战时工作——4月17日英国当局抓住了她。对她的指控主要集中在她虐待并杀害集中营俘虏，包括放狗咬人、枪杀、鞭打。幸存者提供了大量在Auschwitz 和Bergen-Belsen时谋杀、拷打犯人和她残忍行为、性变态举动的细节。他们证实了她嗜虐成性、随意射击、指挥饥饿的军犬攻击俘虏，还选出犯人送进毒气室。据说，Grese习惯穿着笨重的靴子，随身带着皮鞭和手枪。她在精神和肉体上同时折磨着集中营的俘虏，嗜好射杀犯人，冷血无情。她把有的妇女活生生地打死，用编出来的鞭子抽人。
Katherine Knight 是澳大利亚第一个被判终生监禁的女人。她在2001年10月杀害了其夫John Charles Thomas Price。 根据《为免暴力发生令》，Price曾经起诉过Knight，她曾有家庭暴力史；她打碎了一个前夫的假牙，当着另一个前夫的面，割开了他八岁小狗的喉咙。以前Price的生命也收到过她的威胁。大约是2000年2月29日，Knight追着Price满屋子跑时，用屠宰刀刺死了丈夫。尸检发现Price身中37刀，分布在身体前后。很多伤口很深，伤及要害。Knight桶死Price后，剥了他的皮，挂在一个钩子上，晾在起居室的门框上。然后她割下他的头，藏在火炉上的罐子里，她从丈夫臀部挖下肉做烧烤，还准备蔬菜和肉汤给孩子当晚饭，怀恨在心的Knight把这些都一一记下。孩子们到家前，警察已经发现了这顿人肉大餐。
Bathory是匈牙利伯爵。她是匈牙利和斯洛伐克历史最臭名昭著的连环杀手，她被称作“ Čachtice嗜血魔女”（Čachtice是现在的斯洛伐克，当时的匈牙利Trenčín 附近的一座城堡的名字，她在那里度过了大半生）。她丈夫死后，她和四个所谓的同谋被指控虐待并杀害了许多女孩和年轻女子。1610年，她被关押在Čachtice城堡，三年后她死在那里。她的贵族身份让她免于审判和死刑。1610年，Matthias国王（在传闻的驱使下）派人调查Bathory。那人据说发现了一俱女孩尸体和另一个奄奄一息。还发现一个受伤的妇女，和其他几个被囚禁着。她最初的受害者都是当地的乡下女孩，很多都是听信了来城堡当女仆薪水丰富而落入虎口的。后来她开始杀害低等级的贵族家的小姐，她们父母把千金送到她的深闺学习宫廷礼仪。似乎也有诱拐来的女子。证人们最常描述的暴行是：长时间的鞭打，有时直接把人打死；烧伤或者切掉双手，也会伤及脸部和下体；从脸上、手臂或者身体其他部位咬下肉；饿死被害人。针也是作案工具之一。Elizabeth Báthory 在1585年到1610年间虐待和杀害的年轻女人的具体数字尚不清楚，尽管人们常说有几百个。Bathory伯爵洗血浴也只是个传说。她从没受过审判，但是余生都被在城堡的一个小屋中度过。
注释：澄清一点，Lizzie Borden没在其中是因为她谋杀父母的罪名不成立。