ABSTRACT
This chapter brings the study of infanticide and the press to a close with the analysis of the Leicester Mercury's coverage of the infanticide trial of Edith Roberts and the papers subsequent campaign to bring about legislative reform to the 300-year-old infanticide law. The Leicester Mercury's coverage of Edith Roberts's infanticide is noteworthy for the newspapers decision to establish a campaign to secure the young woman's freedom and amend the 300-year-old infanticide law. This at a time when it was also publishing particularly lurid infanticide reports in its pages and in two instances placed sensational infanticide reports alongside news stories about Edith Roberts. During the period between Edith's arrest in April 1921 and her release in June 1922 the newspaper published several prominent and sensational infanticide stories. The fact that no women were empanelled to sit in judgment on Edith Roberts was the focus of the papers report.
