ITV aired its heartbreaking new documentary last night (March 28) about a child killer who evaded justice for 32 years.
Babes in the Wood, presented by Sir Trevor McDonald, followed the investigation into the deaths of nine-year-olds Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows in 1986.
Using a mix of police footage and family testimony, it took viewers through the harrowing story of how the girls’ bodies were found, and killer Russell Bishop was arrested, tried and subsequently let off after a jury found him not guilty.
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Following Bishop’s acquittal and its impact on the families of the murdered girls, Babes in the Wood then explored a case in 1989 of a little girl who was kidnapped and attacked like Karen and Nicola.
But this child survived her ordeal and, with her help, Sussex police built a case that had Bishop as its prime suspect and put him away for attempted murder.
It was this little girl and her part in the tragic story that had viewers heartbroken, and many took to Twitter to praise her bravery.
One wrote: “What a brave little girl. To hear her voice when she was picking that monster out of the identity parade.”
Another simply tweeted, alongside a broken-heart emoji: “Brave little girl, bless her.”
A third commented: “That little girl was amazing. She went through the worst ordeal but she was gutsy and brave. She helped put away an evil killer.”
https://twitter.com/MissDoubleEdge/status/1111398253394681856
https://twitter.com/Rozzy67/status/1111383056445669376
That little girl was amazing. She went through the worst ordeal but she was gutsy & brave. She helped put away an evil killer. #babesinthewood
— Bev ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ ๐ป๐บ๐ฆ (@BevFink) March 28, 2019
Someone else posted, with a crying emoji: “Hearing that little girl’s voice broke my heart. Brave little girl. Now, [I] want [to] hold my little girl and protect her.”
A fifth, who said they found the documentary difficult to watch, wrote: “That unbelievably brave little seven-year-old girl who escaped deserves the moon on a stick.”
“Her Christmas letter broke my heart. I really hope she is OK and living a happy life.”
Hearing that little girls voice broke my heart. Brave little girl. Now want hold my little girl and protect her. ๐ช #BabesInTheWood
— M Cat๐โโฌ๐ป (@MarieAClamp1) March 28, 2019
#BabesInTheWood was such a difficult watch but that unbelievably brave little 7 year old girl who escaped deserves the moon on a stick. Her Christmas letter broke my heart. I really hope she is OK and living a happy life. An agonising slow death is too good for Bishop.
— PDJ Boxing (@WhipPhil) March 29, 2019
It wasn’t until 2013 that the investigation into Karen and Nicola’s deaths reopened, when DNA had become a much more reliable forensic tool.
Investigators eventually linked Bishop to the murders though DNA evidence from one of the girls’ bodies, preserved for nearly three decades.
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Bishop’s second trial saw a jury find him guilty and, in December last year, he was handed two life sentences.
What were your thoughts after watching Babes in the Wood? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.