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Bad People

60. Little Helen: How fallible are forensics?

Bad People

BBC

True Crime

4.41.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2022

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On the 20th of April 1934, eight-year-old Helen was sent to buy bread for her mother. She reached the bakery around 1.30 in the afternoon, spent exactly 4 dimes and was seen returning home by a few neighbors. But she never made it all the way and later that day her parents, friends and the police began a search that lasted through the night. What do Aberdeen, a half-loaf of bread, and the history of forensic science have in common? In this episode of Bad People, recorded live at the festival Granite Noir, Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen discuss the impact of bias on forensics, the use of bacteria in analysing crime scenes and the way in which fingerprints are actually compared – hint, it’s not like the movies. Warning: This episode contains strong language, descriptions of violence, child abuse and sexual violence. CREDITS Presenters: Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen Producer: Louisa Field and Caroline Steel Assistant Producer: Simona Rata Music: Matt Chandler Editor: Rami Tzabar Academic Consultants for The Open University: Lara Frumkin and James Munro #BadPeople_BBC Commissioning Assistant Producer: Adam Eland Commissioning Executive: Dylan Haskins Bad People is produced in partnership with The Open University and is a BBC Audio Science Production for BBC Sounds.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to tell you why I love podcasting.

0:04.5

I'm Sasha Johansson, I'm an Assistant Commissioner for the BBC and I work on making podcasts.

0:11.1

My real passion is discovering unbelievable unheard stories and working with the biggest

0:16.9

stars who can really bring those stories to life.

0:20.1

I love the whole process of making podcasts from the spark of an idea to hearing the final

0:26.0

edit.

0:27.0

There's nothing like it.

0:28.0

What makes BBC podcast special is that we're working for you, so whatever we commission

0:32.6

has to reflect the things that you care about and love, wherever you are in the UK.

0:37.0

So if you like this BBC podcast, there's so much more to discover.

0:40.6

Have a listen on BBC Sounds.

0:42.1

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

0:47.4

Three, two, one.

0:52.2

Does anyone know where Erkert Street is?

0:55.2

Yes!

0:57.2

It's a short walk from here and it was the street on which a horrendous crime took place.

1:03.1

A century ago, that brought national attention to this beautiful Scottish city of Aberdeen,

1:08.4

which I've walked around today, can confirm it's beautiful, which is...

1:12.0

I look a lot on Google Maps and it looked amazing for those who haven't been here.

1:20.0

It's way up in the North of Scotland.

1:24.1

I'm sure there's someone in this audience who's like, that's not North, isn't it more

1:29.4

in the middle?

...

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