Immediately after this court appearance, Fred was re-arrested on suspicion of murdering Anne McFall, whose body had been found on 7 June but had not been officially identified until this date; he was formally charged with McFall's murder on 3 July, appearing in court the following morning. [172] Diversion of culpability [ edit ] Rose occasionally sexually abused Anna Marie herself, and later took extreme gratification in degrading her with acts such as binding Anna Marie to various items of furniture before encouraging Fred to rape her, and forcing her to perform household chores while wearing sexual devices and a mini-skirt. [97] From the age of 13, Fred and Rose forced Anna Marie to prostitute herself within the household, with her clients being informed Anna Marie was 16. Rose was always present in the room when these acts occurred, [98] to ensure Anna Marie did not reveal her true age. [99] On one occasion when Anna Marie was aged 13 or 14, Rose took her to a local pub, insisting she drink several glasses of barley wine. Several hours later, Fred arrived at the pub to collect Rose and Anna Marie. Once they had left the premises, Anna Marie was bundled into her father's van and beaten by Rose, who asked her: "Do you think you could be my friend?" before she was sexually abused by her father and stepmother. [100] Caroline Owens [ edit ] At the bottom of the suicide note found in his cell was a drawing of a gravestone, within which was written: "In loving memory. Fred West. Rose West. Rest in peace where no shadow falls. In perfect peace he waits for Rose, his wife." [174] Trial of Rose West [ edit ] Appropriate Adult neither recreates those crimes nor attempts a definitive psychological analysis of Fred and Rosemary West. Like This Is Personal and See No Evil, it is about the effects of the crimes rather than crimes themselves. Whereas those earlier dramas focused variously on the police, the victims and their families, and the families of the murderers (whose suffering is often ignored), this one places at its centre a woman who was almost an accidental witness to the uncovering of what happened at 25 Cromwell Street. But the documentary makes the case that other locations need to be searched by police, including a derelict farm and a field in the Herefordshire area.

These were matters I discussed with Marian Partington at Hinsley Hall, Leeds, when she showed producer Lisa Gilchrist and myself around the library dedicated to the memory of her sister Lucy. Marian's adult life has been deeply affected by first the disappearance of Lucy and then the discovery of what happened to her. As the conversation progressed I was reminded of the one I'd had years earlier with Burn. The question should not be about whether we engage with the darkest of human acts, but how we do so, and thus perhaps prevent them and liberate ourselves from their influence. A police investigator walks past a pair of uniformed officers as he carries a large plastic box of evidence from the home of Fred and Rose West at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, England, March 4, 1994. Ian Cook/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images In May 2021, police announced their intentions to excavate the grounds of a café in Gloucester after receiving information that the body of Mary Bastholm may have been buried at this location. This search yielded no human remains. [229] At the time of her disappearance, Bastholm worked at this café and Fred is known to have frequented the premises. [230] [231] Furthermore, he is known to have conducted repair work on the drains of this café in late 1967. [232] [n 7]She had received minimal training and this was the first time she had been asked to perform the role. She was told only that the person she was to assist was a 52-year-old man with "learning difficulties". To ensure her daughters' well-being, Rena frequently travelled to England to visit Charmaine and Anna Marie while they lived with Fred at Bishop's Cleeve. [37] Despite initially maintaining her friendship with McFall, Rena soon began to resent her matriarchal presence around her daughters. On 11 October, [40] in an act of resentment, Rena stole some belongings from Fred's caravan and returned to Glasgow. She was arrested the following month and returned to Gloucester to face trial. On 29 November, Rena was sentenced to three years' probation. Fred testified at the hearing, admitting he and McFall were living together, but falsely claiming McFall intended to return to Scotland imminently. [41] On 6 August 1992, the police searched the West household on the pretext of searching for stolen property. Although numerous objects of sexual paraphernalia—including 99 pornographic videos of both home-made and commercial nature—were discovered, police did not find the video depicting the rape of Fred's daughter. The 13-year-old made a full statement through a specially-trained solicitor, describing her father's actions, the fact the sexual abuse had begun when she was 11, and that her mother had been casually indifferent to her plight. All the children in the household were placed in foster care the following day. [40] Medical examinations revealed evidence of physical and sexual abuse. [n 4]

The West case was one of the most disturbing serial murder cases in British criminal history. Murder most foul, but it seems even foulness is relative. The case is appalling on a number of levels: The horrific details of the offences, the juxtaposition of ordinary day to day routine family life with depraved, sadistic sex, torture and murder of innocent young women, who were just starting out on their lives, the shear persistence of the offending that remained undetected for so many years and the cruel unknowing that had to be painfully borne by the victims loved ones. The nation was scarred as the details emerged. There was a sense of an unwelcome mirror held up to society, if it ever needed to be, reminding us of just what depths humankind can sink.Dramas about such events need a clear purpose, which is to illuminate those events. The process of making these programmes is a complicated and painstaking one. Of central importance are the feelings of those whose lives have been most directly affected, which is usually the families of victims. Often they have suffered twice, first by losing a loved one in horrific circumstances, second by acquiring a kind of stigma of being associated with a notorious crime.

Despite the trial, the public was left with many unanswered questions – about both the Wests’ victims and whether public bodies had missed opportunities to halt the appalling cycle of abuse, incest and murder years earlier. As police questioning continued – with Fred repeatedly changing his story and Rose denying any knowledge – investigators uncovered a femur in the garden. When a pathologist then found two more femurs under the patio, later identified as belonging to Heather, police knew they could have multiple murders on their hands.Stephen West, recounting an admission made while his father was on remand at HM Prison Birmingham, 1994. [205] The same stigma which attached itself to the families of the moors murders victims has clung to those affected by the Cromwell Street murders. This has become clear in the conversations we have had with those affected by them, including their daughters Mae and Louise. While they have been supportive of the drama and, having now seen it, believe it will be a force for good, Anne Marie Davis – the daughter of Fred West and his first wife, Rena – has opposed it and said that she will not watch. Having suffered as she did, Davis has every possible right to such feelings. It is our hope, however, that the drama will enhance sympathy for all those who have suffered and continue to suffer as a result of the Wests' crimes. Heather also expressed to Mae and Stephen her desire to run away from home and live a nomadic lifestyle in the Forest of Dean, and to never again see any human beings. [134] Murder of Heather West [ edit ] Fred confessed on February 26 to killing two more women, one named Shirley Robinson, 18, and another subsequently identified by police as Alison Chambers, 16. The remains of both were later found in the garden.