The High Court in London has ruled that the child killer Mary Bell and her daughter should be given lifelong anonymity.
In December 1968, Mary Bell, who was then 11 years old, was convicted of the manslaughter of two young boys.
She was released from prison in 1980.
Counsel for Mary Bell, who is now 46, and her 18-year-old daughter, contended that disclosure of their current identities would lead to harassment.
The judge ruled that the identities of Ms Bell and her daughter should be kept secret to protect them from vigilantes.
Relatives of the murdered boys complained that guidelines had not been set to prevent Ms Bell profiting from any books or films associated with the case. In April 1998, reporters laid siege to her home after it emerged she was paid for helping an author to write about the crimes.
