The Hammersmith Murders

It would be fair to say that prostitutes, and those they work for, are not overly fond of the police. So when, in 1964, prostitutes were assigned their own police officer to protect them, it certainly caused a few raised eyebrows among the women, and probably more than a few clenched fists among the pimps and ponces who farmed them out. So what had prompted this unusual move? After all, while selling and buying sex in itself was not illegal in the UK, most of the activities surrounding it were, including soliciting, loitering on the street, and running a brothel.[1] And yet, here were the police, protecting the girls who were, in most cases, breaking the law. The catalyst for these 'bodyguards' was the murder of Helen Barthelemy - a prostitute and 'exotic' dancer whose body had been found in Brentford, London. While one dead prostitute would not have caused much of a stir at the time, Helen was, in fact, the third such murder in the same area in less than three months, and the police realized they were dealing with a serial killer.