Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Who was Jack the Ripper?
Position‹5 of 6›

Jill the Ripper

This position advances the theory that Jack the Ripper was in fact a woman—'Jill the Ripper.' It argues a woman would have been better positioned to commit the murders and slip away unnoticed, suggesting a midwife as a likely culprit and citing witnesses who described a female suspect.

Supporting arguments · 2

  1. A midwife could have committed the crimes
    A midwife would have had the necessary skills to commit the Ripper murders and would have had a much easier time evading suspicion than any man.
  2. Witnesses and historians identify the Ripper as a woman
    Though most accounts assume Jack the Ripper was a man, many eyewitnesses and historians alike say otherwise. Some theories suggest a woman was masquerading as one of the Ripper's victims hours after her killing, while others claim Lizzie Williams, the wife of a notable suspect, committed the murders.