Killing of Maria Colwell

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Maria Ann Colwell (26 March 1965 – 7 January 1973) was a British child who was killed by her stepfather in January 1973. The case was widely reported at the time and resulted in a public inquiry. Over 50 years after her death, the case of Maria Colwell has remained in the collective memory and is often referenced when similar cases come to light, such as the deaths of Victoria Climbié in 2000, Peter Connelly in 2007 and Daniel Pełka in 2012, and in government papers on the subject of safeguarding of children. Maria was the fifth of seven siblings and was survived by her three elder brothers and sister and her younger half-brother and half-sister, as well as her foster parents, Bob and Doris Cooper, with whom she spent six years of her life.

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