The last 12 months have been characterised by some of the most shocking stories we at the Huffington Post UK can remember.
The near fatal collapse of Premier League footballer Fabrice Muamba on the pitch during an FA Cup tie remains one of the most unwelcome sights in recent sporting history.
Self-confessed killer Anders Breivik heaped insult upon tragedy during his trial for the Norway attacks of 2011 which killed 77. The 33-year-old performed a far right salute as he entered an Oslo court, evoking memories of Nazi Germany.
Huffington Post UK's ten most shocking and unsolved crimes crimes of 2012
Ripples of grief and shock continue to reverberate throughout the world following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Of the 28 people killed, 20 were children.
The disappearance of Croydon schoolgirl Tia Sharp sent unease through the country, as did the subsequent arrest of her grandfather on the suspicion of the 12-year-old's murder. Stuart Hazell is to face trial in May.
The investigation into Jimmy Savile continues more than a year after his death as does the probe into the demise of a British family shot in the French Alps in September.
The barbaric attack on Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for the "crime" of promoting education for girls, continues to haunt the headlines, although thankfully, so do the efforts to further her cause.
Our story on Bristol University's Christian society banning women from speaking at events and teaching at meetings unless they are accompanied by their husbands went viral, as did the jailing of Dean Edwards who beat his Staffordshire Bull Terrier to death before hurling it 60ft off a block of flats.
Most shocking story is hands down the horrific events which saw a naked man gnaw the face off a homeless drifter in Miami.
Rudy Eugene was dubbed the Miami Cannibal after he was shot dead during the attack. His victim, Ronald Poppo, survived the attack but lost one of his eyes and his nose.
For more about these shocking stories, click through our slideshow below.
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