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for your free 60-day trial that's shipstation.com promo code case File [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often
00:01:33
distressing incidents if you feel at any time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested
00:01:40
phone numbers for confidential support please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website
00:01:47
this episode contains graphic descriptions of child abuse it won't be suitable for all listeners
00:01:53
[Music] well Rose it's your birthday on 29 November 1994 and you will be 41 and still beautiful and still lovely and I
00:02:11
love you we will always be in love the most wonderful thing in my life was when I met you
00:02:20
our love is special to us so love keep your promises to me you know what they are
00:02:29
where we are put together forever and ever is up to you you will always be Mrs West all over the
00:02:37
world that is important to me and to you I haven't got you a present but all I have is my life I will give it to you my
00:02:47
darling when you are ready come to me I will be waiting for you [Music] [Music] the birth of Frederick West on the
00:03:23
morning of September 29 1941 brought his mother Daisy immense Joy Frederick or Fred as he came to be known
00:03:32
was Daisy's second child her first had been a premature daughter who died just days after being born
00:03:41
having experienced this loss Daisy considered a baby Fred with his thick curly hair and striking blue eyes
00:03:48
especially precious he was also the son her husband Walter had always wanted the wests lived in a century-old cottage
00:03:59
in the English Village of much Marco which was home to just a few hundred residents
00:04:05
there was no running water electricity or gas wartime rationing coupled with Walter's
00:04:12
meega farm hand earnings meant the family relied on the land much Michael's Countryside was defined
00:04:20
by Acres of Green Pastures fruit orchards and crop fields the West spent a lot of time Outdoors
00:04:29
picking fruit rolling hay bales and hunting rabbits they moved from one Farm to the next yet
00:04:36
hardship and scarcity followed wherever they went over the next decade Daisy and Walter
00:04:44
had six more children three girls and three boys one of their sons died from a heart
00:04:51
defect when he was a month old Daisy West was a doting and attentive mother but her oldest Fred was by far
00:05:00
her favorite none of her other children nor her husband could compete with Daisy's love
00:05:06
for Fred when conflict arose between Fred and his siblings Daisy always sided with Fred
00:05:13
even when he was obviously lying he reciprocated his mother's unconditional love by doing everything
00:05:21
she asked of him by most accounts Fred West was an ordinary boy though cheeky and somewhat
00:05:30
mouthy whenever he stepped out of line Fred's father flogged him with his leather belt
00:05:37
Daisy wasn't averse to dulling out corporal punishment either and once struck Fred with a shovel
00:05:45
to Fred his mother was a formidable woman equal parts nurturer provider and protector
00:05:52
one day eight-year-old Fred revealed that he was being regularly caned at school
00:05:58
Daisy was outraged she went to the school and publicly berated Fred's teacher Fred's classmates ridiculed him for
00:06:08
being a quote mummy's boy Fred didn't stand up for himself he was known to have a really long fuse
00:06:18
and wasn't easily provoked he was also sensitive after accidentally killing a bird with
00:06:25
an air rifle he showed a genuine remorse [Music] Fred's poor hygiene isolated him further
00:06:34
from his peers in time his teeth grew discolored and his dark curly hair became an unruly
00:06:42
mess Fred came to rely on his siblings for companionship loyalty among the six West children was
00:06:51
fostered by their secluded rural upbringing however the preferential treatment Fred
00:06:57
received from their mother fueled some animosity between them he did manage to form a bond with his
00:07:04
brother John who was one year younger by age 15 Fred West was done with the education system
00:07:14
he left school with the reading and writing comprehension of a seven-year-old Fred made up for his shortcomings by
00:07:22
having magnificent neuro-linguistic skills he had a natural charm and was a gifted
00:07:29
smooth talker people were captivated and delighted by his amusing stories as Fred hit puberty and developed an
00:07:42
interesting girls he started putting more effort into his appearance he began wearing clean clothes and
00:07:49
combing his hair regardless most young women found Fred West crude and unpleasant
00:07:58
he'd grab and fondle them whether they expressed interest in him or not it didn't matter if they had a boyfriend
00:08:05
either Fred enjoyed rallying up other young men with his boorish Behavior whenever fights ensued Fred stood back
00:08:16
and let his younger brother John defend him on his 17th birthday Fred gifted himself
00:08:25
a 125 CC James motorcycle it quickly became his most prized possession granting freedom from his
00:08:33
isolated home the following year in November 1958 Fred was riding his motorbike home one night
00:08:42
down a dark pothole ridden Road he collided with a young girl who was traveling on a bicycle in the opposite
00:08:50
direction she sustained minor injuries Fred hadn't been wearing a helmet he was found unconscious and bloody
00:09:02
it took a week for him to regain Consciousness at which point he felt he had come back from the dead
00:09:08
[Music] a steel plate had been inserted in Fred's head to hold his shuddered skull
00:09:15
together a scar spanned the bridge of his broken nose one of his arms was permanently damaged
00:09:24
his broken leg healed shorter than the other resulting in a distinct lamp he also formed a lifelong aversion to
00:09:33
hospitals Fred was taunted and teased for the stiff way he now walked and for the
00:09:40
first time in his life he began responding to his bullies with aggression years later in 1960 Fred attended a
00:09:51
social event at a local youth club he was standing on the steps of the building's first floor fire escape when
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he attempted to grope a girl the girl hit Fred causing him to lose balance he tumbled over the railing and fell 10
00:10:08
feet Landing head first on the concrete below the impact once again rendered Fred
00:10:16
unconscious and bloody he was rushed to hospital where he woke up 24 hours later
00:10:24
Fred seemingly recovered from this second severe head injury as well but others started to notice that he'd
00:10:32
become markedly irritable and short-tempered [Music] in April of 1961 Fred had his first
00:10:44
brush with the law he was caught shoplifting a gold watch strap and two cigarette cases
00:10:51
in court Fred was fined four pounds plus costs this was more than a week's worth of his
00:10:59
wages but Fred didn't seem to care a few months later thirteen-year-old Kitty West discovered she was pregnant
00:11:09
she revealed that her brother Fred West who was six years her senior had raped her on multiple occasions over a
00:11:16
six-month period when questioned about Kitty's accusations Fred seemed unfazed he casually confessed that he'd been
00:11:27
molesting young girls since his early teens he thought this was normal asking well doesn't everyone do it
00:11:39
Fred told police that sexual abuse was common in his household he implied that he'd been introduced to
00:11:46
sex by his own mother when he was 12 years old Fred also accused his father Walter of
00:11:54
abusing his sisters Fred said Walter West had given him the impression that incest was normal
00:12:02
he claimed that his father taught and encouraged him to perform illicit acts with animals as well
00:12:10
for the alleged rape of his sister Fred West was charged with unlawful carnal knowledge of a child
00:12:18
for the first time in his life he earned his mother's contempt Daisy West was disgusted with her
00:12:26
beloved Son and sent him to live with an aunt Fred's first taste of motherly rejection
00:12:33
was extremely bitter in the space of a day he had gone from Golden Child to Black Sheep
00:12:41
he quit his farm work to distance himself from his family and took up various construction jobs
00:12:49
while awaiting his day in court nineteen-year-old Fred groomed a 14 year old girl even offering her an engagement
00:12:57
ring she said that Fred raped her twice after one of the assaults he suffered some kind of seizure-like attack
00:13:10
in November 1961 the now 20 year old Fred West faced trial for the rape of his sister
00:13:18
the West Family Doctor testified in his defense saying that Fred had likely sustained brain damage from his previous
00:13:26
head injuries and might be epileptic this could explain he suddenly volatile Behavior
00:13:34
Daisy West put her personal feelings aside to appear as a witness on her son's behalf
00:13:42
Kitty West had since had an abortion when it came time for her to testify she refused to name Fred as her abuser or
00:13:51
give evidence against him the case collapsed and Fred left court a free man he didn't face any further disciplinary
00:14:02
measures or monitoring over the following year tensions between Fred and his parents called and he
00:14:10
eventually moved back to the family farm where they presented a united front yet Fred's relationships with several of
00:14:19
his siblings remained tarnished Kitty West had become withdrawn and was never the same
00:14:27
foreign s Fred attended a dance where he met a 16 year old Scottish girl named Catherine Costello
00:14:41
better known as Rina she was staying with relatives in the area Rina grew up in a broken overcrowded
00:14:49
home and had been in minor trouble with the law from an early age she was described by those who knew her
00:14:57
best as a lovable Rogue while her upbringing made her tough headstrong and independent Rina was also
00:15:05
at risk of being manipulated she wanted more out of life and hoped to make something of herself
00:15:14
Fred impressed Reina by exaggerating the story of his motorcycle accident he said that he died on the operating
00:15:22
table and when his body touched the morgue's cold Marble Slab his heart miraculously restarted
00:15:31
Reina was captivated by Fred they began an intense relationship having each other's names tattooed on
00:15:39
their arms but when Fred displayed a jealous streak their romance ended and Rina returned to
00:15:46
Scotland with Fred's family and Court dramas behind him he became reacquainted with
00:15:54
Arena Costello it had been two years since they had broken up and Rina had returned to
00:16:01
England and was working as a waitress she was also pregnant by another man whom she was no longer involved with
00:16:11
Fred pushed Rina to let him perform an abortion Rina couldn't get the procedure done any
00:16:17
other way as abortions were illegal at the time Fred and Arena headed into nearby
00:16:24
Woodlands to carry out the operation but had to stop prematurely when he was caught in the act
00:16:31
Fred and Rina devised the new plan they would get married and Fred would raise reina's child as his own
00:16:40
when Fred turned 21 the pair wed in secret believing his mother would never approve
00:16:48
the only guest present at the registry office was Fred's closest sibling John when Fred broke the news to his parents
00:16:59
Walter West was indifferent Daisy was upset by the secrecy But ultimately accepted her son's marriage
00:17:08
she allowed the newlyweds to move in with them but the West's modest Homestead was too crowded for Fred and
00:17:15
Arena they relocated to Scotland and settled in a small flat in the Inland town of
00:17:23
coatbridge near the city of Glasgow it was where Rina was born and raised and allowed her to be close to her
00:17:31
sisters and friends Fred didn't take well to his new industrial surroundings and urban
00:17:39
lifestyle it was difficult for him to adapt or fit in his West country accent and illiteracy
00:17:47
earned him the nickname country bumpkin at home Fred's marriage quickly grew strained
00:17:56
whenever he was unhappy with Arena he resorted to violence he'd beat her if she was late serving
00:18:03
him dinner or if she refused his advances Fred demanded sex every day and at inappropriate times
00:18:13
sex with Fred often left arena in tears his pleasure was all that mattered to him
00:18:21
he veered into acts of sadism hurting Rina for his own gratification he sought to push her boundaries but
00:18:30
Rina was frightened and wouldn't let him in March 1963 Rina gave birth to a baby
00:18:43
girl she named Charmaine charmaine's biological father was Asian and she inherited his olive skin and
00:18:51
dark eyes it was obvious to others that she wasn't Fred West's daughter rina's family weren't happy that
00:19:01
Charmaine appeared mixed race sensing Fred's family would react similarly Fred and Rina told the wests
00:19:10
that Rina had miscarried their child they had adopted a quote little-colored girl as a replacement
00:19:19
Fred's dislike of Charmaine was clear from the outside he appeared to resent having to raise
00:19:26
another man's child sometimes he'd walk out on Rina as though ending their marriage for good
00:19:33
but he always returned eventually It is believed that Fred fathered at least two children to different women
00:19:43
during this time however his name didn't appear on either child's birth certificate and he didn't
00:19:50
feature much in their lives Rena was aware of Fred's infidelity in turn she started an affair with a bus
00:20:00
driver named John McLaughlin Reina eventually had the tattoo of Fred's name on her arm crossed out and
00:20:08
replaced with John's Fred was Furious he lashed out at Rina with the John later saying
00:20:18
Rina had bruises everywhere it was sadism one night Rina and John were in a park
00:20:27
together when Fred suddenly appeared from the darkness he ordered Rina to go home then punched
00:20:35
her John hid Fred in retaliation who slashed Jon's stomach with a knife John punched Fred again
00:20:46
when it was clear that Jon wasn't backing down Fred stopped assaulting him John then realized that Fred West was
00:20:55
someone who only attacked those who couldn't or wouldn't fight back in July 1964 Rena gave birth to a second
00:21:06
daughter named Anna Marie Fred was the father he treated the baby kindly as she was
00:21:14
his flesh and blood but he continued his cruelty to Charmaine whenever Fred was home Charmaine had to
00:21:23
go to her room slats had been secured across the bottom half of a bunk bed creating a makeshift
00:21:31
to jail Charmaine was kept there alone for hours at a time when speaking to his family in England
00:21:40
Fred painted a different picture he bragged about being an important man who earned a fortune through organized
00:21:48
crime in reality Fred drove an ice cream truck through his work he encountered many
00:21:57
young women and girls some of whom he offered rides to [Music] in the first half of 1965 Fred was
00:22:10
driving his ice cream truck when he struck and killed a four-year-old boy police concluded that death was
00:22:18
accidental and Fred wasn't charged but indignant locals accused Fred of careless driving
00:22:27
this hostility was exacerbated by rumors that Fred was a pedophile when the 12 year old sister of a local
00:22:35
gang member accused Fred of sexual assault words spread that anyone who did fret in would be rewarded
00:22:44
at one stage young men wielding knives razors bricks and hatchets chased Fred's ice cream truck through the streets
00:22:54
realizing the danger he faced in Glasgow Fred returned to England and resettled in March Marco
00:23:03
Reno eventually joined him and they moved to their small family into a caravan in the village of Sandhurst
00:23:11
Fred found work driving a lorry for an abattoir his marriage remained Rocky prompting
00:23:18
Rina to retreat to Scotland whenever she needed space in Scotland Rena West was friends with a
00:23:27
young woman named Isa McNeil Isa had previously worked for the wests as a full-time live-in nanny
00:23:36
Reena asked Isa to move to England and stay with the family once again Isa agreed
00:23:45
she brought along her best friend a teenager named Anna McFall Anna had been going through some
00:23:53
personal crises and welcomed a new start in England she and Isa shared a couch in the West's
00:24:00
Caravan unable to find work the two women spend a lot of time with the west and witnessed Fred's abusive Behavior first
00:24:10
hand his moods were unpredictable when happy Fred got a kick out of being vulgar
00:24:20
at his worst he'd attack Raina Isa tried to protect her friend but Fred threatened to kill Liza if she didn't
00:24:29
get out of his way before he left for work each morning Fred warned Rina not to go anywhere
00:24:36
during the day Isa believed Fred was paranoid that his wife was going to leave him
00:24:45
one day Rina reached out to her former boyfriend to John McLaughlin he drove overnight from Scotland to help
00:24:53
Arena and the others escape he arrived at the Sandhurst Caravan park at dawn after Fred had already left for
00:25:01
work as the women were packing their things Fred reappeared when he saw John he began screaming
00:25:10
furiously Reina was adamant about leaving she headed into the Caravan to get her
00:25:19
code Fred followed and slapped her several times Rina went back outside as she went to rescue her two children
00:25:29
Fred grabbed Charmaine Reina struggled to pry her young daughter from Fred's grasp
00:25:37
John punched Fred in the stomach but still he refused to let Charmaine go he yelled at Reina
00:25:45
I'll kill you if you ever show your face again neighbors called the police John quickly returned to his car with
00:25:56
Arena and to ISA McNeil inside as they drove off Reina sobbed about having to leave her daughters behind
00:26:05
with Fred while all this was happening animac 4 stood to one side calmly watching the
00:26:15
chaos unfold Reina had urged her to come with them but Anna said she wanted to stay and be
00:26:22
Fred's nanny this came as little surprise to Reno and Isa while they were plotting to get away
00:26:31
from Fred they noticed Anna had been growing friendly with him they suspected that she had alerted Fred
00:26:39
to their Escape Plan truth was Anna had fallen in love with Fred West she had endured a troubled upbringing
00:26:54
and was mourning the recent Unexpected death of her boyfriend Fred promised her a better life
00:27:03
in letters to her mother in Scotland Anna swooned at the prospect of marrying Fred
00:27:10
she wrote about Fred's financial success and how he'd moved her into a beautiful
00:27:15
house in reality Anna was Raising Charmaine and Anna Marie in Fred's Caravan they were barely scraping by
00:27:29
at 16 years old Anna was eight years younger than Fred her young age coupled with her lack of
00:27:37
child rearing experience LED Anna to struggle in taking care of the West girls Fred decided to surrender them to Social
00:27:46
Services and they were placed into foster care he'd retrieved the pair every so often
00:27:53
only to send them back when he no longer wanted them around [Music] despite this no alarm was Ever Raised
00:28:02
within the social welfare system regarding Charmaine and Anna Marie's treatment the authorities never identified the
00:28:11
West children as vulnerable nor was their home environment routinely checked to determine if it was safe
00:28:20
Rena West was miserable without her children in 1966 she returned to England for her
00:28:28
daughters Reina successfully reclaimed Charmaine and Anna Marie but she wasn't done with
00:28:36
Fred West the two resumed their tumultuous relationship Fred was still saying Anna McFall though
00:28:45
she had since moved to her own Caravan in another Park Anna was delighted when she found out
00:28:53
she was pregnant she began pressing Fred to divorce Reina but he wouldn't go through with it
00:29:01
and then in July 1967 just a few weeks before animac4 was due to give birth she vanished
00:29:14
when friends and family in Scotland abruptly stopped hearing from Anna they assumed she was focusing on her new life
00:29:21
in England as such no one reported her missing Anna's mother died a short time later
00:29:31
Anna was a no-show at her funeral while this raised some concerns it wasn't enough to compel anyone to
00:29:41
investigate and as whereabouts with Anna McFall gone Fred West's Behavior changed
00:29:50
he moved to a new Caravan Park in the village of Bishop's cleave where he kept to himself and seemed perpetually lost
00:29:58
in thought neighbors described him as strange and tense as though he were in a dream world
00:30:07
Rainer eventually moved back in with him along with her two daughters this time around Fred seemed less
00:30:16
jealous and controlling [Music] although things were better overall the couple continued to argue about finances
00:30:27
Fred began working as a laborer for a flower and animal feed manufacturer as he worked the night shift Rina took
00:30:36
on sex work Fred welcomed the extra cash and wasn't bothered by how it was made he seemingly enjoyed the idea of his
00:30:46
wife giving and receiving sexual gratification from other men and he was far from a prude
00:30:55
Fred openly told wild fabricated stories about his sexual history to anyone who to listen
00:31:02
he would show off pornographic pictures of his wife and liked to discuss obscene
00:31:08
subjects Fred also bragged that he was proficient at performing abortions he shared black and white photos he had
00:31:18
allegedly taken of women mid-procedure one friend was alarmed Enough by Fred's assertions that he informed the police
00:31:30
Fred was questioned but the photos didn't depict anything illegal and nor was it illegal for Fred to have them
00:31:38
he was released without charge in February 1968 Fred's mother Daisy West was hospitalized following
00:31:49
complications from gallstone surgery Fred was the only one of his siblings who didn't visit her
00:31:57
some speculated that he still resented Daisy for abandoning him years earlier after he confessed to molesting girls
00:32:07
Daisy West had died on February 6 at the age of 44. shortly afterwards Fred was fired after
00:32:16
being accused of stealing money he then bounced between jobs before settling into the role of delivery
00:32:24
driver for a bakery in gotherington a small Village North of Bishop's cleave he spent his spare time visiting bars in
00:32:34
an attempt to pick up young women but quickly earned a reputation as a creep like the time he drove an ice cream
00:32:43
truck being a delivery driver gave Fred a way to meet and chat up girls sometimes he'd stop his vehicle just to
00:32:53
accost someone who'd caught his eye age was no barrier with Fred once taking interest in a 10 year old
00:33:03
then one day in early 1969 he noticed a brown-haired teenage girl sitting alone at a bus stop in the town of Cheltenham
00:33:28
case File will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors
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delivery fees with doordash subject to change terms apply Bill Latz had served in the English Navy
00:36:38
in his younger years he was regarded as polite if somewhat stiff but as life wore on Bill became unstable
00:36:48
living with Bill was described as hell he developed obsessive-compulsive disorder and expected his home to be
00:36:56
pristine and free of germs Bill's wife and children worked fastidiously to maintain his extreme
00:37:04
standard of cleanliness if his expectations were not met bill made his family clean the house again
00:37:13
the place constantly reeked of bleach prone to paranoia bill would accuse his family of being against him
00:37:23
he'd lash out violently striking his children with a copper stick throwing them down the stairs and banging their
00:37:31
heads against brick walls he also punched them locked them in sheds and forced them to sleep outside
00:37:40
sometimes he threatened them with knives and axes when Bill's wife Daisy tried to
00:37:47
intervene he beat her and poured boiling water on her throughout all this bill Harvard a
00:37:55
secret he'd been diagnosed as schizophrenic but never sought treatment Daisy and the children were unaware that
00:38:05
he was experiencing full-blown psychotic episodes Daisy let's became highly anxious
00:38:13
depressed and unable to cope she had Hallmarks of postinatal depression though diagnosis of this
00:38:21
condition didn't exist at the time Daisy soon developed a fear of leaving her house known as agoraphobia
00:38:31
she eventually had a complete mental breakdown her Depression was considered so severe
00:38:38
that doctors suggested a treatment called electroconvulsive therapy or ECT this aimed to re-address the chemicals
00:38:48
in the brain that govern mood Daisy was restrained and drugged with muscle relaxants as electrodes were
00:38:57
attached to her freshly shaved scalp a powerful electrical current was then administered to her brain
00:39:06
the treatment caused the daisy to experience seizure-like convulsions and blackouts
00:39:13
she was left feeling exhausted but no less depressed after two of these treatments a
00:39:21
psychiatrist deemed to Daisy's case is more serious than initially thought and prescribed another six rounds of ECT
00:39:30
Daisy was pregnant with her fifth child at the time shortly after her last session in
00:39:38
November 1953 she gave birth to a baby girl named Rosemary according to Daisy baby Rose was as good
00:39:49
as gold yet there were Silence from early on that something was amiss rosalette was an unusually quiet baby
00:39:58
who rarely cried she also had a habit of violently and incessantly rocking back and forth
00:40:05
causing her pram to roll across the floor this tick faded as Rose developed until
00:40:13
it only affected her head she'd swing it around and round as though in a hypnotic trance and wouldn't
00:40:20
react when spoken to at night she kept her siblings away because she rhythmically hit her head
00:40:27
against her cart sometimes she would just stand still staring vacantly through her big dark
00:40:36
dull-like eyes absent-minded and unable to absorb information Rose's Family nicknamed her
00:40:44
dozy Rosie no matter her age Rose always preferred to play with children younger than her
00:40:54
in school she struggled to grasp at the most basic teachings and was held back a
00:40:59
year while Bill lets tormented the rest of his family Rose avoided his Wrath she was so quiet and obedient that she
00:41:10
often went unnoticed her naivety seemed to endear her to her tyrannical father as such she got away with more than her
00:41:21
siblings could ever dream of she avoided her chores by complaining endlessly until someone else did them
00:41:29
for her Bill had no problem with Rose's passive and whiny attitude when he flew into his violent rages Rose
00:41:39
took his side although one of her brothers attributed this to self-preservation it was clear
00:41:46
that Rose was her father's favorite as her siblings bonded over their mistreatment Rose was often left on the
00:41:55
outer her father became her only Ally although no official accusations had been leveled against him words started
00:42:11
circulating that bill lets took an inappropriate interest in children some had even noticed the disconcerting
00:42:19
way that bill cuddled and fondled his own daughters desperate to outrun these rumors Bill
00:42:27
constantly uprooted his family leaving his wife and kids at the mercy of his unpredictable and Brash decision-making
00:42:35
the lats moved across the countryside before settling in Bishop's cleave rosalatz was a loner at her new school
00:42:46
she was a habitual liar who didn't have the social skills to make friends easily
00:42:51
she was also teased for being overweight Rose began hitting children who upset her
00:43:00
once her tormentors realized she would fight back they backed off emboldened by this Rose became the
00:43:09
school bully and was even more despised meanwhile life at home was growing increasingly unstable
00:43:20
sex was a taboo Topic in the let's household and to neither parent discussed it with their children
00:43:27
despite this secrecy Rose began openly flaunting some unusual sexual behaviors she paraded around the house naked and
00:43:37
bathed with the door open so others could see by the time she'd turned 13 she was
00:43:44
sexually abusing her younger brothers she framed this as normal leading the boys to believe the abuse was quote
00:43:52
sisterly love thank you in 1969 Daisy Latz reached Breaking Point with her husband bill
00:44:03
she moved out taking the remaining children who still lived at home including 15 year old Rose
00:44:10
[Music] by this point Rose worked in a mobile snack bar it was positioned on the side of a road
00:44:18
and was frequented by Lorry drivers salesmen and other passers-by as boys her own age hadn't shown any
00:44:27
romantic interest Rose relished to the attention her older male customers gave her
00:44:34
it made her feel mature she often went off with them returning later with her clothes disheveled
00:44:44
other staff were fully aware of what must have taken place questioned one thirty-year-old man for
00:44:52
initiating an illicit relationship with the underage Rose but they never charged
00:44:57
him Daisy let's settled her family on a chicken farm in the village of toddington
00:45:05
not long after the move Rose announced that she was returning to live with her father
00:45:12
while it was no secret that Rose was Bill's favorite child her siblings were still shocked by her decision
00:45:19
they couldn't understand why she would choose to live with his volatile unpredictability over their docile
00:45:26
mother even though Rose had avoided their father's scorn she still had issues with
00:45:33
him one time she contacted Social Services to report that her father was being restrictive
00:45:42
a social worker visited the let's home and spoke with Bill and Rose but they were unable to identify the issue that
00:45:49
had prompted Rosa's complaint [Music] while Bill didn't expect much of Rose he did push her to get a proper job
00:46:02
she found work at a bread shop in Cheltenham a five-mile bus ride away after a shift one night Rose was waiting
00:46:11
to catch a bus home when she was approached by an older man he tried to make a move but Rose made it
00:46:19
clear she wasn't interested the man then went to grab her Rose fled into a nearby park and found
00:46:28
herself cornered against a padlocked gate according to Rose the man quote smashed the padlock off with his fists
00:46:38
he said he had been in the Army and was very strong he then dragged her among some trees
00:46:44
alongside a lake and raped her this wasn't the first time Rose said she had been sexually assaulted
00:46:54
she had previously told others that she had been raped by a man who had given her a ride home from a party
00:47:01
those who knew Rose well were wary of her claims as she was a chronic liar even when giving her the benefit of the
00:47:09
doubt her extraordinary story about a man punching open a padlock LED them to suspect she was embellishing
00:47:18
her history without a man also LED others to assume she wasn't a victim whatever the truth Rose decided to start
00:47:27
catching the bus from the Central Station in Cheltenham as she felt it was far safer
00:47:35
it was at this bus stop that 15 year old Rose was approached by an older man he was short poorly dressed and walked with
00:47:44
a limp his dark curly hair was a mess thick sideburns framed a weathered face marked by tired blue eyes and uneven
00:47:54
stubble he was dirty all over and his worn scarred hands indicated he was a laborer
00:48:04
you coming out with me tonight darling he asked Rose considered the man wholly unattractive and proceeded to ignore him
00:48:15
yet he persisted talkative and Charming he lavished rose with compliments none of it worked
00:48:25
then the man gave Rose a wry smile it exposed his teeth chipped into green colored from years of neglect
00:48:35
while Rose found the men repulsive something about him excited her his name was Fred West aged 27 he was 12
00:48:47
years older than Rose he worked as a delivery driver for a bakery and also lived in Bishop's cleave
00:48:54
a short walk from Rose's house Fred offered to ride the bus with rose during the drive he regaled her with
00:49:05
far-fetched stories about his life he asked Rose out three times but she adamantly rebuffed him
00:49:17
the next time Rose saw Fred West was at the bread shop where she worked she found herself inexplicably drawn to
00:49:25
him when he asked her to meet him at a pub later Rose agreed on this date Fred gifted Rose a lace
00:49:36
dress and fur coat she refused to accept them but Fred insisted then he probed rose with questions in a
00:49:46
bid to figure out if she was sexually active before making advances on her as he had with others in the past Fred
00:49:55
pressed Rose to keep their interactions a secret whenever they met up from then on Fred
00:50:03
gave Rose a few Shillings so her parents would think she was carrying out cleaning work instead of seeing an older
00:50:10
man again foreign Fred and Rayna West were going through a period of separation Fred admitted to Rose that he was
00:50:21
married but made out that he'd been abandoned by his sex worker wife who left him with two young daughters
00:50:30
Fred portrayed himself as a caring and doting father and spoke of wanting more children
00:50:36
he was especially fond of his biological daughter Anna Marie to Fred she was dad's go and he said
00:50:45
they were a tame Rose didn't mind that Fred had children her infantile disposition helped her
00:50:54
relate to them she visited Fred's Caravan often to play with six-year-old Charmaine and
00:51:01
five-year-old Anna Marie the filthy Caravan was far from the pristine condition of Rosa's home a
00:51:10
byproduct of Bill letzer's OCD the more Rose got to know Fred West the more she realized he was the inverse of
00:51:19
her father and that was a good thing [Music] by now Fred's interest in sex had reached extreme levels of sadism
00:51:30
he derived pleasure from giving and receiving brutal aggressive punishments Rina had refused to indulge the darkest
00:51:40
of his fantasies but Rose willingly participated in whatever Fred wanted he used her Limitless submission as an
00:51:49
opportunity to explore a range of fetishes some vastly more depraved than others
00:51:56
and as he had with Arena he pushed Rose into sex work knowing there was a marker for young
00:52:04
seemingly virginal women he wanted to exploit it [Music] Fred began to enjoy voyeurism the act of
00:52:13
watching others engaged in sexual activity this along with bondage became integral
00:52:20
to his sexual gratification by now Daisy Latz had reunited with her husband after struggling to provide for
00:52:33
their children on her own Bill and Daisy suspected that their daughter was spending time with an older
00:52:39
man but when Rose finally introduced them to Fred West they were genuinely shocked
00:52:46
he looked far older than his 27 years and was unimpressive and strange Fred told them that he was wealthy and
00:52:56
successful boasting that he owned multiple properties a hotel and a fleet of ice cream vans
00:53:04
while it was obvious he was lying he spoke with such enthusiasm that he didn't seem to notice that no one was
00:53:11
falling for his ruse Fred lied to the lats about everything in reference to a scar on his nose from
00:53:20
the motorcycle accident Fred said he'd been chased by a woman wielding a chain Rose was silent while he told his
00:53:28
fanciful stories after the couple left Bill and Daisy let's admitted their Mutual dislike of
00:53:37
Fred West Bill reported the illicit relationship to Social Services the authorities recommended that Rose be
00:53:47
placed in care and kept away from Fred by the end of 1969 Rose was moved into a house for troubled teenagers
00:53:58
she lived under strict conditions that included a curfew Rose was miserable saying she felt like
00:54:06
she was in prison during her three-month stay no one in her family came to visit
00:54:14
she couldn't call them as they didn't own a telephone Rose felt forgotten and rejected
00:54:22
she relied on Fred's companionship and tried more actively to see him she escaped to be with him and spent a
00:54:31
weekend by his side that was meant to be with family in letters to Fred Rose expressed her
00:54:39
fear that he would find someone to replace her She Wrote I love you Fred but if anything goes
00:54:47
wrong it will be the end of both of us for good [Music] when Bill Letts discovered that Fred was
00:54:56
still seeing his underage daughter he confronted Fred face to face working himself up into a rage Bill
00:55:04
warned that he would cut Fred up into little pieces if he didn't leave Rose alone
00:55:11
Fred listened impassively Rose would soon be turning 16 and the authorities would have no legal grounds
00:55:18
to detain her but just 11 days before Rose's birthday Fred was taken to jail after failing to
00:55:27
produce documents for his car he'd also accumulated a series of unpaid fines he was only behind bars for 30 days but
00:55:38
Fred hated the experience as he was neither a strong nor intimidating figure he was targeted by
00:55:46
other inmates meanwhile Rose turned 16 and was released from care her father gave her an ultimatum stay
00:55:57
away from Fred West or I will disown you several weeks later Rose went to her parents with her bags packed
00:56:11
Fred had been released from jail and she was now prepared to spend the rest of her life with him
00:56:18
when Rose left Bill phoned the police requesting their assistance to retrieve his daughter
00:56:25
but he soon found out that Rose was pregnant with Fred's baby she refused to terminate the pregnancy
00:56:32
so Bill lets made good on his ultimatum he officially disowned Rose Rose was tasked with looking after
00:56:42
Charmaine and Anna Marie while awaiting the arrival of her own child Fred ordered the girls to call Rose mum
00:56:50
but neither of them wanted to Anna Marie later wrote in her book out of the Shadows
00:56:58
in those days I viewed Rose as a little more than a schoolgirl besotted with my dad and unable to cope with the role of
00:57:06
stepmother to two difficult children at least she regularly told us we were difficult and I don't suppose someone
00:57:14
who was little more than a child herself found us easy to manage by this point Fred's marriage to Reina
00:57:23
was effectively over Fred and Rose relocated Charmaine and Anna Marie to this small city of
00:57:30
Gloucester in England Southwest they moved into one of many semi-detached to multi-story Flats that
00:57:38
filled Midland Road Fred and Rose leased the ground floor of number 25 which consisted of a small
00:57:46
living room a bathroom a kitchen and two bedrooms Fred started working as a tire fitter
00:57:55
and later as a handyman the low pay wasn't enough to support his growing family and he started committing
00:58:02
Petty thefts to get by in October 1970 Rose gave birth to a girl they named Heather
00:58:12
at the time teenage mothers were supposed to be monitored by government Health Services which conducted
00:58:19
well-being checks but Rose's circumstances were never reported by Midwifery staff and to No
00:58:26
Such checks ever took place [Music] Rose wasn't coping with the demands of raising two young children and a newborn
00:58:39
she received a Little Help from Fred who firmly believed that women were responsible for all child rearing duties
00:58:48
shortly after Heather was born Fred was caught stealing car tires and a vehicle tax disk he pleaded guilty in court
00:58:56
saying he committed the crimes to support his children after his estranged wife deserted them
00:59:03
given his history of offending the court viewed Fred's excuse with a degree of skepticism
00:59:10
he was sentenced to 10 months in prison months after Bill lets disowned his daughter he put his feelings aside and
00:59:20
visited rose with his wife Daisy Rose was noticeably thin unkent and a living in squalor
00:59:28
her home was scattered with a rubbish dirty nappies and used dishes a layer of dirt had formed across the
00:59:37
floor that baby Heather crawled across Rose herself had few possessions and hardly any furniture
00:59:45
her eyes were red as though she'd been crying moments prior she didn't tell her parents why she was
00:59:52
sad but admitted that she'd hit Charmaine for wetting the bed with Fred Behind Bars Rose spiraled
01:00:02
Charmaine and Anna Marie offered her no love or respect like she had in the past Rose relied on
01:00:10
anger bullying and violence to assert her Authority at her worst she would go into a
01:00:17
blinding rage during which her face turned blank and froth appeared in her mouth
01:00:24
anything could trigger this reaction from a misplaced tea towel to the way potatoes were mashed
01:00:31
Rose grabbed Whatever item she could from brooms to knives and used it to strike the girls
01:00:38
when she had these mental blackouts it almost seemed like she didn't know what she was doing
01:00:44
once they were over she would sometimes tell the girls it was their [ __ ] fault
01:00:50
other times she would wordlessly carry on with what she was doing as if nothing had happened
01:00:56
[Music] to avoid Rose's Fury Anna Marie laid low and tried to be compliant but strong-willed Charmaine faced Rose's
01:01:07
brutality head on there were only 10 years between her and Rose this coupled with Rose's intellectual
01:01:17
immaturity meant Charmaine didn't see her as an authority figure no matter how hard Rose tried Charmaine
01:01:25
never gave in or showed fear Anna Marie later said it was in charmaine's nature to rebel
01:01:34
and part of her stoic character was to accept her punishment a friend of charmaine's once botched
01:01:44
into the West home to find Charmaine standing on a chair her hands tied behind her back with a leather belt
01:01:52
Rose stood before her holding a wooden spoon it was clear Rose had been beating Charmaine with the spoon
01:02:01
Anna Marie was nearby with a blank expression on her face the friend told her mother what she'd
01:02:09
seen who in turn asked Rose about it Rose was blunt and Unapologetic she was punishing Charmaine for Naughty Behavior
01:02:19
Rose said she was waiting for charmaine's biological mother to come and get her as she had had enough of the
01:02:26
child and was quote at the end of her tether Rose wrote to Fred in prison saying
01:02:36
I think Charmaine likes to be handled rough but darling why do I have to be the one to do it
01:02:43
I would keep her for her own sake if it wasn't for the rest of the children you can see Charmaine coming out in Anna
01:02:51
Marie now and I hate it Rose expressed her resolve to let God guide her actions from there on out
01:03:02
at the top of the letter she drew a heart and wrote from now until forever she signed it you're ever worshiping
01:03:11
wife likewise Fred signed his letters to Rose with your ever worshiping husband he only ever had one rule for her to
01:03:24
follow quote make sure you hit them where it doesn't show [Music] on Sunday March 28 1971 six days after
01:03:39
Charmaine West turned to eight years old she arrived at the gloucestershire Royal
01:03:44
hospital with rose Charmaine had a nasty puncture on her left ankle that resembled a knife wound
01:03:53
despite the injury being sustained at home the hospital didn't liaise with social services and the matter was never
01:03:59
investigated on a separate occasion Anna Marie received stitches for a head wound which
01:04:07
hospital staff were told was the result of a four in reality Rose had smashed a plate on
01:04:14
Anna Marie's head because she took too long to wash up after breakfast Rosa's violence was growing boundless
01:04:22
and indiscriminate and nothing was being done to protect their children Rose would restrain the girls often
01:04:30
while they were naked with items ranging from strips of sheep to plastic washing
01:04:35
line being tied up was generally a relief for the girls as it was a rare moment they
01:04:41
were left alone one day Anna Marie entered a room to find Charmaine naked and bound to a bed
01:04:48
lying on a waterproof sheet Charmaine looked frightened and for the first time ever she looked as though she
01:04:57
had been crying days before Fred was due to be released from prison Anna Marie went to school
01:05:05
alone she returned home to find that Charmaine wasn't there Rose explained that Charmaine had gone
01:05:14
to live with the girl's biological mother Reena she said Charmaine and Rina were headed
01:05:21
for the City of Bristol almost 40 miles Southwest Anna Marie had learned not to question
01:05:29
her stepmother plus Charmaine had privately confided to her that she hoped that their mother
01:05:35
would rescue her Anna Marie was glad her sister's wish had apparently been fulfilled
01:05:44
speaking of charmaine's absence to a neighbor Rose said and bloody good riddance
01:05:51
[Music] when others quizzed Rose about charmaine's whereabouts she repeated the Bristol story
01:06:00
the government wasn't obligated to follow up on these claims and charmaine's school documentation was
01:06:06
simply marked moved away Anna Marie found herself missing her older half-sister although they had been different and
01:06:16
were at times pitted against each other Anna Marie considered Charmaine her only
01:06:21
Ally one wintry night when Fred and Rose weren't around Anna Marie and Charmaine
01:06:29
had huddled together under the same blanket they'd been frightened by the howling
01:06:34
wind that rattled the window above the bed [Music] Charmaine told Anna Marie the witches are trying to get in they're
01:06:43
going to get us reflecting on that memory later Anna Marie said I can see us now in that bare little
01:06:53
room two wide-eyed mites frightened of the witches outside and to not realizing evil was already in the house sleeping
01:07:01
just down the hall oh case File will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this
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deliver quality content Fred West was released from prison in late June 1971 after having served just
01:10:42
under seven months of his 10-month sentence soon after this Rose appeared on her
01:10:49
father's doorstep with baby Heather in her arms she said she was done with Fred and
01:10:55
wanted to come home later that day Fred arrived at the let's house saying come on Rosie you know what we've got
01:11:05
between us he gave her 10 minutes to return to him otherwise he threatened to find another
01:11:13
woman to share his bed with Rose faced her parents you don't know him she said there's nothing he wouldn't do
01:11:24
even murder Rose then left with Fred [Music] although Bill and her Daisy let's agreed
01:11:35
that Rosa's comment was strange they knew she was highly strung ultimately they dismissed it as an
01:11:42
offhand remark in August of that year 27 year old Rena West arrived at her in-laws Farm in much
01:11:52
Markle Charmaine was not with her she wanted to speak with Fred's father Walter West although she didn't explain
01:12:01
why it was an odd request as she didn't know him very well Walter was in the fields bringing in
01:12:10
corn so Raina headed out to see him it's unknown what exactly they discussed shortly afterwards Rina paid Fred a
01:12:20
visit in person he took her to a pub and proceeded to get her extremely drunk after that Rena West wasn't seen again
01:12:34
given that Reina had lived a relatively transient lifestyle and was incarcerated
01:12:39
for sex work in the past nobody reported her as missing she was rarely spoken about again in the
01:12:47
west household Anna Marie was under strict instruction to never mention her mother's name as it
01:12:55
might upset Rose Fred reassured Anna Marie you're all right you've got your dad your dad loves you
01:13:08
[Music] Elizabeth the juice lived next door to the West's Residence at 25 Midland Road
01:13:17
like rose she was a young mother with a baby one day Elizabeth was struggling to push
01:13:23
her baby's pram up the steps to her flat when Fred West appeared and offered to help he seemed friendly and asked a lot
01:13:31
of questions about Elizabeth's family she explained that her husband was hundreds of miles away in Malta and she
01:13:39
had few relatives in the area soon Elizabeth had befriended Fred and Rose and came to rely on them to curb
01:13:48
her loneliness she visited their home almost the daily sometimes Fred was gone at night
01:13:57
he once told Elizabeth it was because he wanted to see what he could find to bring home
01:14:03
Elizabeth didn't think much of the remark one evening she agreed to babysit Fred
01:14:10
and Rose's children while they went out for the night Elizabeth had noticed the West girls
01:14:16
were badly neglected Heather was often left in soiled nappies Fred and Rose didn't return until the
01:14:26
early hours far later than expected when Elizabeth asked where they'd been Fred said they had driven the highways
01:14:33
all the way into London it was a six-hour round trip they had been looking for young girls on
01:14:42
route to the city Fred suspected these girls would be runaways desperate for money and might
01:14:48
be virgins who he could force into sex work he'd brought along Rose who was aware of
01:14:55
his intentions Fred believed girls would be more inclined to get in his car if one was
01:15:02
already inside Elizabeth the juice couldn't believe what she was being told because Fred was always laughing and
01:15:12
joking she suspected he was making it up to get a reaction months later Elizabeth found out Rose
01:15:20
was a sex worker at Fred's behest Rose also revealed that Fred inconspicuously watched her with clients
01:15:28
threw a hole in the wall and in time Elizabeth realized Fred was trying to seduce her
01:15:37
he didn't hide his intentions from Rose who actually encouraged him Elizabeth knew then that the pair were
01:15:45
unconventionally close and hid nothing from one another [Music] Elizabeth's husband finally returned
01:15:54
from overseas this made Fred angry as she hadn't yet given in to his advances during one visit he snapped a pair of
01:16:04
handcuffs on Elizabeth yelling now I [ __ ] got you Rose intervened pulled Fred away and
01:16:13
freed her neighbor not long afterwards Elizabeth returned to the West home and drank a cup of tea
01:16:20
she was offered soon she felt drowsy the next thing she remembered was waking up in bed with Fred and Rose all of them
01:16:31
were naked Elizabeth was told that Fred had raped her while she was unconscious she was then dressed and sent home
01:16:43
in January 1972 Fred and Rose tied the knot he was 30 years old she was 18 and pregnant with their second child
01:16:56
like Fred's first wedding it was a secretive ceremony held at a registry office this time no one else was invited
01:17:06
Fred listed himself as a bachelor on the marriage certificate even though he had
01:17:11
an officially divorced Arena as Mr and Mrs West Fred and Rose looked for a larger home where they could raise
01:17:19
their family they sort of Fixer-Upper that Fred could renovate and modify so that Rose could
01:17:27
also conduct her sex work there they found the perfect place just a few yards from their current residence in
01:17:35
Gloucester on a side road across from the adjacent Parklands 25 Cromwell Street [Music]
01:17:54
sixteen-year-old Caroline Owens stood alone by a grassy field opposite a pub in the town of Tewkesbury situated about
01:18:01
10 miles from Gloucester it was a cold September night in 1972 and Caroline was trying to hitch a ride
01:18:10
home she had hitchhiked successfully from the same spot in the past a lot of young women she knew did it
01:18:20
hitchhiking was an easy way to travel when none of them drove but Caroline was mindful of potential dangers and always
01:18:27
took precautions [Music] as Caroline waited a gray-colored two-door Ford popular passed by
01:18:37
minutes later the gray car returned and rolled to a stop before her there were two people inside
01:18:46
thinking they were both men Caroline felt slightly uneasy but when the passenger window rolled
01:18:53
down she was relieved to see a man and a woman Inside the woman's presence eased Caroline's
01:19:00
concerns and when she offered Carolina lift the teenager gladly scrambled into the back seat
01:19:08
the couple introduced themselves as Fred and Rose West while Rose was only a year or two older
01:19:15
than Caroline Fred looked old enough to be her father she was surprised to learn that the pair
01:19:22
were married quote I felt Rose could have done a lot better for herself but they seemed happy and
01:19:30
Fred was quite Charming in a roguish kind of way [Music] throughout the journey the West's
01:19:38
quizzed Caroline about her life she spoke of her crowded home where she lived with her mother stepfather and
01:19:46
seven siblings her relationship with her stepfather was Rocky as he was abusive at times
01:19:53
Caroline was looking for a place of her own having left school at 15 her options
01:20:00
were limited but she hoped a decent job would come her way Fred and Rose exchanged a look then said
01:20:10
they were looking for a live-in nanny to help out with housework and child care Rose had recently given birth to a baby
01:20:17
girl named May the couple also had two other daughters a toddler named Heather and
01:20:25
eight-year-old Anna Marie the West could pay Caroline three pounds a week plus free board
01:20:34
as Caroline had been thinking about becoming a nanny the job sounded perfect she just needed to check with her mother
01:20:41
first and Rose met with Caroline's mother to ease any concerns Fred did most of the talking explaining
01:20:51
that he worked all hours and that's why Rose needed help around the house he promised to keep a fatherly eye on
01:20:59
Caroline stating that she would be all right living with them Caroline accepted the job
01:21:08
the West's lived just south of gloucester's city center Cromwell Street was lined with tall
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neglected Terrace homes that were crammed together wall to wall their front Gardens were either
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overgrown and strewn with rubbish or sealed up and repurposed into parking spaces
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petty crime was common with police sirens forming the soundtrack to Everyday Life
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residents mostly kept to themselves to avoid trouble eliminating any sense of community
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but the neighborhood's cheaper ants and property prices Drew in young working-class families like the wests
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who had moved in around nine months earlier when Caroline Owens arrived at 25 Cromwell Street she was disappointed
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the house was cluttered and dated and in poor condition despite being a spacious multi-level
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home the West's primarily lived downstairs they had turned the upstairs rooms into
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a bedside flat to help pay off their seven thousand pound mortgage meanwhile the seller below was always
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locked to Caroline's dismay she was made to share a bedroom with the West's oldest
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daughter Anna Marie while she hadn't received the personal space she desired Caroline did find Anna
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Marie cute and affectionate yet whenever Fred or Rose were around Anna Marie withdrew
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the little girl always did what she was told and spoke in a murmur Caroline Owens found it difficult to
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befriend Rose West despite the pair being so close in age Caroline was a typical teenager she
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traveled partied listened to pop music and had boyfriends in contrast Rose was a housewife raising
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several children with no social life Caroline followed the latest fashions while Rose dressed in a Dowdy
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middle-aged Style she kept her dark hair short and wore a large thick rimmed spectacles that aged
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her significantly the way she aimed to please her husband also seemed old-fashioned
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while Fred was physically affectionate with rose to the point of making Caroline uncomfortable he would just as
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easily wind her up cow was his nickname for her if she didn't do what he wanted he
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called her a bad wife whenever Caroline stood up for Rose Fred told her to mind her own business
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for the most part Rose took what Fred dished out but sometimes Fred riled her up so badly
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that she snapped of the pair Rose was more likely to lash out violently despite the occasional Tiff Rose's
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dedication to Fred was a full-time job she was eager and willing to submit to his control
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she gave Caroline advice telling her how important it was to give a man a good meal after A Hard Day's Work
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[Music] Caroline didn't know what Rose saw in Fred she found him highly unlikable
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he spent most of the day at work in a factory but when he was home he talked about sex incessantly
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he had no inhibitions and was constantly joking about people's genitals As Time wore on he became even more
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crude and disturbing he bragged about operating on women to give them more pleasure from sex
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once he told Caroline I've performed abortions on Girls before and they turn around and they're so
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grateful that they just have sex with me straight after unimpressed Caroline thought Fred was
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being facetious using his Brash know-it-all attitude to mask his inadequacies she pitied him and also found herself
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dreading their conversations then one day Fred utterly repulsed Caroline after revealing that his
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eight-year-old daughter Anna Marie had already lost her virginity upon seeing Caroline's appalled reaction
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Fred quickly backtracked it was an accident he clarified the result of Anna Marie sitting down on
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her bicycle without realizing the seat had come off unconvinced Caroline suspected abuse was
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taking place at Cromwell Street she notified the authorities but never received a response
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[Music] at any given time there could be upwards of 30 people at the West's home with a
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steady flow of new faces coming and going at all hours The Lodges upstairs were either on low
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incomes or welfare and were mostly delinquent transient or vulnerable youth with nowhere else to go
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they never stuck around along and were quickly replaced Rose also had dozens of men who came to
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visit they rang a second special doorbell to alert her to their arrival Rose told Caroline she was a masseuse
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and these were her clients she conducted her work from a room at the front of the house known as Rose's
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room it was kept locked and Caroline never went in at night the West sometimes hosted
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impromptu parties with girls as young as 14 in attendance mattresses were laid out across the
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floors for guests to crash on drugs alcohol and sex were all readily available so lodges and partygoers Fred West was a
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broad-minded man with a free and easy attitude towards sex he encouraged his wife to sleep with
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other men and women and she left the door open so Fred could watch for Rose sex was a performance for her
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husband's enjoyment Fred urged her to be loud if Rose was with anyone while Fred was
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at work she had to give him all the sort of details when he returned any concerns that Fred might have an
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adverse reaction to his wife's infidelity were raised by the big approving grin he gave her lovers
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Caroline Owens wanted nothing to do with any of it at one point Fred and Rose put so much
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pressure onto Caroline to join their quote sex circle that she was reduced to tears
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it became clear that Rose was sexually attracted to Caroline but the feeling wasn't Mutual
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Rose would stroke Caroline's hair touch her legs and make personal comments about her
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there were no locks on any of the bathroom doors and Rose barged in on Caroline whenever she was bathing
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between threads distasteful conversations and Roses unwanted advances Caroline reached a Breaking
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Point after only six weeks of being the West's Nanny she quit a month later on Wednesday December 6
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1972 Caroline was back in Tewksbury visiting her boyfriend that evening she was walking along
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Barton Street in the Town Center when she saw a familiar gray-colored Ford popular drive past
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Fred West was behind to the wheel and Rose was sitting beside him Caroline suspected the couple were out
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cruising and didn't think they had seen her at 10 30 PM she was waiting at her usual
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hitchhiking spot for a ride home suddenly Fred and Rose West pulled up alongside her
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Rose got out of the car and told Caroline we really missed you the children really
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missed you from behind the wheel Fred added I'm sorry you left on bad feelings I'm
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sorry we had a row although Caroline had no intentions of befriending the couple again she
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accepted their offer of a ride home Rose said she wanted to have a girls chat and climbed into the back seat with
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Caroline the conversation started normally but as they drove on things took a turn
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Fred and Rose began talking about sex once again despite Caroline's obvious discomfort
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the couple persisted Rose slung an arm around Caroline and smiled at her in a manner that Caroline
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described as maniacal she then started fondling Caroline as Fred watched through the rearview mirror
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egging her on Rose cackled as she tried to kiss Caroline who wrestled her away it then dawned on Caroline that she
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wasn't being driven towards her home Fred brought his car to a stop on a grass Verge against the wooden gate
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overlooking a muddy field Rose continued to grope Caroline who kept pushing her away in increasing
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panic Rose then looked at Caroline with a nasty expression Fred turned to the pair in the back seat
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and called Caroline a [ __ ] he reached over and punched her head several times causing her to black out
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when Caroline regained Consciousness she was still in the West's car her hands were tired behind her back
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with her scarf Rose was holding her down as Fred wound Brown adhesive tape around Caroline's
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face to cover her eyes ears and mouth the couple laughed as they threatened Caroline and told her to shut up
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Fred then got back behind to the wheel and continued driving while Rose sat on top of Caroline to keep her pinned down
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and out of sight Caroline wept as she struggled to breathe through her nose car finally stopped outside 25 Cromwell
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Street Caroline was forcibly let inside the house and into a room that she'd never
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been in before Rose's room it contained a sofa a double bed and a mattress on the floor
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Fred produced a knife and held it to Caroline's face he ordered her to keep quiet
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if she was good he said he would remove the tape he used the knife to cut the tape around
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Caroline's face in the process he nicked Caroline's skin Fred apologized Rose gave Caroline a cup of tea which
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made her woozy Fred and Rose then stripped Caroline naked once again she was restrained
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blindfolded and gagged Fred then baked Caroline's genitals with a belt which delighted Rose
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he then stood back and took pleasure in watching his young wife sexually assault
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Caroline before joining in himself in addition to being raped Caroline endured what she described as a
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gynecological examination afterwards Rose and Fred fell asleep Caroline quietly maneuvered herself to
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the window outside Cromwell Street was dark and quiet but with her arms still tied behind her
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back Caroline was unable to open the window at around 6am there was a knock at the
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West's front door Fred addressed and left the room to greet the visitor Caroline heard the person approach
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it was a man she yelled out to alert him of her captivity prompting Rose to grab a
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pillow and smother Caroline's face on the verge of losing Consciousness Caroline stopped fighting and to play
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dead certain that Rose was trying to kill her when the pillow was removed Caroline
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came face to face with an infuriated Fred the visitor had left and Fred snarled at
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Caroline I'll keep you in the cellar and to let my friends have you and when we're
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finished we'll kill you and bury you under the paving stones of Gloucester there are hundreds of girls there
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the police haven't found them and they won't find you foreign left the room to check on the children
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leaving Fred and Caroline Alone Together Fred then raped Caroline it lasted barely a minute before Fred
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with the Drew prematurely he begged Caroline not to tell Rose as she would be angry at him
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he told her that it was Rose's idea that they quote get her he said Caroline was there for Rose's
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pleasure not his adding if you promise not to tell anybody what happened and come back I know what will
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make rose happy Caroline could see that Fred was crying he asked her to forgive them and resume
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working as their nanny convinced that the couple would kill her if she declined Caroline pretended to
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agree to Fred's offer she promised not to tell anyone what had happened and would return to the house
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for more Caroline spent the rest of the morning helping the West she cleaned the house played with the
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children and took several baths at Fred's insistence Caroline then accompanied the family to
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the laundromat Fred couldn't find a parking spot so he let Rose Caroline and the children out
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as he drove onwards Caroline realized this was her chance to escape she told Rose she had to go home to
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collect her belongings but would be back shortly Caroline then walked off not daring to
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look back in case Fred passed by Caroline returned home and spent days in bed in a depressive state
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she didn't think anyone would believe what she'd been through and if they did she worried that she'd be blamed for
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accepting a lift from them in the first place when her mother noticed the bruising on
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Caroline's face Caroline refused to tell the truth she knew the descriptions of her ordeal
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would upset her mum but in time she eventually opened up about what Fred and Rose West had done
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the police were notified and Fred was arrested he denied assaulting Caroline claiming
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the sex had been consensual he said that he kicked Caroline out afterwards because he no longer wanted
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her in his house and that she was making up the rape accusation to get back at them
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detectives visited 25 Cromwell Street where they were greeted by a belligerent Rose West
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they asked if the accusations made against her by Caroline Owens were true Rose retorted
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and don't be [ __ ] daft what do you think I am when asked if they could carry out a
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search Rose responded please your bloody self [Music] inside Fred's Ford popular detectives
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found a button that had come off Caroline Owen's code inside the house was a partially used
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roll of brown adhesive tape Rose was arrested but was reluctant to talk explaining that her husband had
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warned her not to say a thing when she too eventually admitted to performing sex acts with Caroline she
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denied they were forced [Music] investigators informed Caroline Owens that if the rape case proceeded to trial
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she would be cross-examined in the witness box the thought terrified Caroline when she had been questioned in the
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aftermath of her assault a police officer asked you were no innocent you were into this
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you just complained you like your sex don't you don't tell me you weren't loving it
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she suspected that the authorities viewed her as a quote [ __ ] and she feared how she would be treated in court
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in front of her family and the public deciding she couldn't cope with it Caroline elected not to pursue the rape
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charge instead Fred and Rose agreed to plead guilty to the Lesser offense of indecent
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assault causing actual bodily harm their case went Accord in January 1973 at 31 years of age Fred was well
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accustomed to the legal system but for 19 year old Rose this was the first Mark against her name
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the West's defense worked to undermine Caroline calling her a friend of the couple they
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suggested she had passively cooperated in everything that happened to her they claimed that the door to the room
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where Caroline was kept was unlocked and that she'd made no attempt to call for help or get away
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admitting that Fred had a knife they said he only intended to use it to cut the tape from Caroline's mouth and she
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was wrong to perceive it as a weapon [Music] the wests were portrayed as a sympathetic couple with several children
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to care for they indicated that Rose was seeking psychiatric treatment for her lesbian
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Tendencies which wasn't true despite Fred West having a criminal history that included allegedly raping
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his sister the magistrates ultimately decided that his previous offenses were irrelevant to the Caroline Owens case
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they felt Fred was a docile man who did not look capable of violence the police who handled his arrest agreed
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as for Rose she had no history of offending it was also revealed that she was pregnant with her third child
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Upon returning to court the magistrates announced to the wests we do not think that sending you to
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prison will do you any good both Fred and Rose were fined just 50 pounds each and advised to receive
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psychiatric help neither did Caroline Owens was bitterly disappointed saying it felt like they'd got away with it it
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made me feel like I wasn't worth anything she occasionally spotted the West surround Gloucester carrying on their
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lives with their children in tow meanwhile Caroline required medication and struggled to trust others especially
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women she later attempted to take her own life then there were the nightmares she was plagued by visions of being
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buried under the pavement of gloucester's streets she screamed and clawed upwards
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desperately trying to alert passers by above but they continued on unable to hear
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oblivious to the fact that Caroline lay hidden beneath the slabs below their feet
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to be continued next week [Music] [Music] [Music]