Voices for the Victims
In 2003, 14-year-old Charlene Downes mysteriously vanished from her hometown of Blackpool. Chilling stories started to spread. And when two men are arrested for murdering Charlene, they are accused of cutting up her body – and using her remains as kebab meat.
The story of what happened to this young girl has haunted Blackpool for more than twenty years. It has twisted and turned, taking in police, paedophiles, and far-right protests. But not all is as it seems – and so much of this story remain
8 most recent episodes
Visit website →In 2025, more than twenty years after she disappeared, is there any hope for finding out what happened to Charlene? Nicola sits down with the senior investigating officer of the case to find out how the search is continuing to the present day. But ev
Nicola outlines how far-right groups have used Charlene as a poster child for their campaigning, stoking public outrage to fuel their political agenda. She unpacks the lies and misinformation that have spread as these groups seek to exploit this case
A witness gets in touch with Nicola, with new information that could be significant for the investigation. A mysterious flat, a suspect that has never been identified, and an intriguing possibility – did Charlene really disappear on that Saturday in
What had gone so wrong with Charlene’s case? After some very public failings, the police put one of their own in front of a disciplinary hearing. But this is bigger than one bad detective.
As Nicola investigates the fallout from the collapsed tria
In the wake of Charlene’s disappearance, the focus was on the network of men grooming young girls from late night takeaways. But what the public didn’t know was that these weren’t the only bad men in Charlene’s life. Nicola speaks to Charlene’s paren
On a chilly morning in Blackpool, Nicola interviews Mohammed Raveshi, one of the men charged in relation to Charlene’s disappearance. Some still believe he is guilty. But as he tells the strange story of how he ended up on trial for the murder of a y
Two men are arrested and charged – for murdering Charlene and disposing of her body. Police and prosecutors believe they have the audio tapes to prove it. But it’s not so simple. What happens in the trial will shock everyone and shape this story for
On Saturday 1st of November 2003, fourteen-year-old Charlene Downes disappeared from her hometown of Blackpool. The story of what happened to her has haunted the town ever since – but is it true?
Twenty years later, another Blackpool girl, broadcast