10 Most Evil Women in History

The perception of women as symbols of love, care, and humility is widely held. They are often seen as polite, graceful, and poised individuals. However, history reveals that there have been women who challenged these stereotypes and perpetrated heinous acts. While much attention is given to evil men, it is important to acknowledge the existence of truly malevolent women. This article sheds light on ten of the most infamous women in history.

10. Irma Grese

Irma Ida Ilse Grese, born on October 7, 1923, in Wrechen, Germany, and died on December 13, 1945, in Hamelin, Germany, was employed at the Nazi concentration camps of Ravensbrück and Auschwitz. She also served as a warden in the women's section of Bergen-Belsen. Grese was convicted of crimes against humanity at the Belsen Trial and sentenced to death. She gained notoriety for her sadistic enjoyment of torture and wore heavy boots as a habit. Executed at the age of 22, Grese became the youngest woman to be judicially executed under English law in the 20th century. She was nicknamed "the Beast of Belsen," "The Beautiful Beast," and "Die Hyäne von Auschwitz."

9. Myra Hindley

Myra Hindley, born in 1942, was an English serial killer who, in partnership with Ian Brady, committed the rapes and murders of five small children. Together, they kidnapped, sexually abused, tortured, and murdered three children under the age of twelve, as well as two teenagers aged 16 and 17. Hindley's 17-year-old brother-in-law eventually alerted the police, leading to her arrest. Although she pleaded not guilty to all the murders, Hindley was found guilty of three and sentenced to life imprisonment. She was never released and died in prison in 2002.

8. Isabella of Castile

Isabella the Catholic, born in 1451 and died in 1504, was the queen of Castile and León. Alongside her husband, Ferdinand II of Aragon, she brought stability to the kingdoms that laid the foundation for the unification of Spain. Isabella and Ferdinand are known for completing the Reconquista, which involved ordering the conversion or exile of their Muslim and Jewish subjects. They also financed Christopher Columbus' voyage in 1492, leading to the discovery of the "New World." Isabella was granted the title Servant of God by the Catholic Church in 1974.

7. Beverley Allitt

Beverley Gail Allitt, also known as the Angel of Death, was an English serial killer and one of the ten most evil women. She was convicted of murdering four children, attempting to murder three others, and causing grievous bodily harm to a further six children. Allitt committed these crimes over a period of 59 days between February and April 1991 while working as a State Enrolled Nurse in the children's ward at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital in Lincolnshire. She administered large doses of insulin to at least two victims and caused the death of another through the injection of a large air bubble. In May 1993, she received 13 life sentences for her crimes and was deemed a serious danger to others. Allitt remains detained at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire.

6. Queen Mary I of England

Mary I, born on February 18, 1516, and died on November 17, 1558, was the Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death. She earned the epithet "Bloody Mary" due to her brutal persecution of Protestants. As the only surviving child of King Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon, Mary is primarily remembered for her violent efforts to restore Catholicism in England. Many prominent Protestants were executed during her reign, leading to widespread fear. Approximately 800 Protestants chose to leave the country rather than face persecution until Mary's death.

5. Belle Gunness

Belle Gunness, a physically strong woman standing at six feet tall and weighing over 91 kg, was one of America's most notorious and prolific female serial killers. Of Norwegian descent, she is believed to have killed both her husbands and all of her children at different times. However, it is certain that she murdered most of her suitors, boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. Greed was her motive, as she acquired life insurance policies and stole assets from her suitors. Reports suggest that her death toll exceeded twenty victims over several decades, with some even claiming it surpassed one hundred. Belle Gunness has become a part of American criminal folklore, known as a female Bluebeard.

4. Mary Ann Cotton

Mary Ann Cotton, born in October 1832 in Low Moorsley, County Durham, was Britain's first serial killer. She married William Mowbray at the age of twenty, and the couple settled in Plymouth, Devon, to start their family. Tragedy seemed to follow them as four out of their five children died of supposed "gastric fever and stomach pains." After moving back to the north-east, three more children were born, and three more children died. William soon followed, succumbing to an "intestinal disorder" in January 1865. Mary Ann's second husband, George Ward, and one of her two remaining children also died from similar issues. The press caught wind of the alarming pattern, and it was discovered that Mary Ann had lost three husbands, a lover, a friend, her mother, and a dozen children, all supposedly dying from stomach fever. She was eventually hanged on March 24, 1873, at Durham County Gaol for murder by arsenic poisoning.

3. Ilse Koch

Ilse Koch, born on September 22, 1906, earned the monikers "Die Hexe von Buchenwald" (the Witch of Buchenwald) and "Buchenwälder Schlampe" (the Bitch of Buchenwald). She was the wife of Karl-Otto Koch and one of the first prominent Nazis to be tried by the US military. Driven by her husband's absolute power, she reveled in torture and debauchery. Notorious for collecting tattoos from murdered inmates as souvenirs, her reputation for sadistic acts was well-established. After embezzling 250,000 marks from inmates to build an indoor sports arena in 1940, Koch was promoted to Oberaufseherin, overseeing the female guards at Buchenwald. She committed suicide by hanging herself at Aichach women's prison on September 1, 1967.

2. Katherine Knight

Katherine Mary Knight, born on October 24, 1955, is currently serving a life sentence in prison. She became the first Australian woman to receive life imprisonment without parole. Known for her history of violence in relationships, Knight engaged in horrifying acts. She crushed the dentures of one of her ex-husbands and slashed another husband's eight-week-old puppy's throat in his presence. Her volatile relationship with John Charles Thomas Price became public knowledge when Price filed an Apprehended Violence Order against Knight. The relationship ended tragically when Knight stabbed Price to death with a butcher's knife. She stabbed him at least 37 times from both the front and back, with numerous wounds penetrating vital organs. Knight then skinned Price and hung his "suit" from the door frame in the living room, cut off his head and placed it in a soup pot, baked his buttocks, and prepared gravy and vegetables to accompany the "roast." Fortunately, the police discovered the meal and a vindictive note before the children arrived home.

1. Elizabeth Bathory

Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed, born in 1560 and dying in 1614, belonged to the renowned Báthory family of Hungarian nobility. She is often labeled as the most prolific female serial killer in history, although the exact number of murders remains debated. She is infamously known as the "Blood Countess" and was responsible for the horrific killings of peasant girls. Her methods included severe beatings, burning, mutilation of body parts, and even chewing off their faces. Despite her heinous actions, Elizabeth Bathory was never put on trial due to her noble status and instead spent her remaining years under house arrest.