**TL;DR : Jack the Ripper as a woman could actually be plausible.** One of the greatest mysteries in the true crime world is the identity of Jack the Ripper, London’s infamous serial killer, who stalked the streets of the city, killing prostitutes. However, some people believe that the Ripper managed to go undetected by the police because _he_ was actually a _she_. In a recent effort to solve the mystery, an [Australian Scientist] (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/was-jack-ripper-woman-478597.html) used swabs from the stamps and seals of the letters that the Ripper sent to the police force. As expected, the findings were inconclusive, apart from the evidence that the DNA could have belonged to a woman. The theory of the Ripper being a woman was investigated by Inspector Abberline at the time of the killings. The main suspect in his theory was [Mary Kelly] (https://www.casebook.org/suspects/jill.html), the Ripper's final victim. Abberline’s suspicion arose when Kelly was noted to be spotted twice several hours after doctors believed she died. A witness saw Kelly in a dark shirt, velvet bodice, and a maroon-coloured shawl. From this interview, Inspector Abberline started to investigate the case of Jill the Ripper. In 1939, William Stewart released a new book, titled _Jack the Ripper: A New Theory_, where he started to outline the possibilities of the female ripper. A female ripper could actually be plausible because of her undetectability. She would be able to roam around the streets late at night as a non-threatening figure, even less so because she would be classified as a potential victim because of her gender. The points of his arguments are further explained in [this post] (https://www.casebook.org/suspects/jill.html), it's a pretty interesting read! Whilst I don’t ever believe that we will solve the cold case of Jack (or Jill) the Ripper, this theory is undeniably interesting if anything else!

**TL;DR – The evidence suggests that the killer had a high level of anatomical knowledge, something which, at the time, women were highly unlikely to possess.** Whilst a _Jill_ the Ripper would explain why the serial killer was able to evade the police at the time, here is why I think that the theory is unlikely to be true: • The manner in which the incisions were made suggests a level of expert anatomical knowledge. In [Annie Chapman’s post mortem](https://www.casebook.org/victims/chapman.html), the coroner reported that the shape of the cuts were consistent with those made by a sharp medical instrument. Moreover, in [Catherine Eddowes’ post mortem](https://www.casebook.org/victims/eddowes.html), the coroner remarked “I believe the perpetrator of the act must have had considerable knowledge of the organ in the abdominal cavity and the way of removing them.” • Women had only been [legally permitted to enter medical school in England in 1876](https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/careers-in-surgery/women-in-surgery/history/), which is only 12 years prior to the Ripper murders. This means that there were _far_ less women who were experts in the medical field than men. • In light of these facts, it is much more unlikely, although not entirely impossible, that the murderer was female. Thus, for now, I think _Jack_ the Ripper is a more viable conclusion to come to.

**The natural conclusion in the 1800s would have been that the killer was a man. If you really look at the case, alongside recent forensic evidence, it's entirely possible that Jack the Ripper was a woman.** - In [2006] (https://www.smh.com.au/national/jack-the-ripper-may-have-been-female-20060517-gdnkai.html), swabs that were taken from letters widely believed to have been written by 'Jack' revealed that they had likely been sent by a woman (although the overall results were inconclusive). - Police at the time [did actually suspect] (https://www.history.com/news/was-jack-the-ripper-a-woman) a female killer - although [their main suspects] (https://www.casebook.org/suspects/) were male - after one victim was 'spotted' hours after her death. Supposedly, a female killer could have stolen the victim's clothes. - There is also [no evidence] (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jip.22) that Jack the Ripper sexually assaulted any of his/her victims, giving some sway to the female killer theory. Although the police privileged the male killer theory (likely a result of the [Victorian attitudes] (https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gender-roles-in-the-19th-century) to female capabilities) the idea of a female, midwife 'Ripper' was [floated at the time] (https://whitechapeljack.com/jill-the-ripper-was-jack-the-ripper-a-deranged-midwife/), which would account for the knowledge of female anatomy. - The Jack the Ripper murders are one of the most famous unsolved cases in English crime history. There are [countless theories] (https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/jack-the-ripper-identity-theories-nightmares/) about the killer's identity, and we will most likely never know the whole truth. But the real possibility of it having been a woman adds an edge to a case that has long been the subject of public fascination.