First Conviction: 06 - Limbo
Pirate Predator
RTÉ Documentary on One
4.4 • 778 Ratings
🗓️ 12 November 2025
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Having spent two years in jail, Sayeed and Halawa are relieved when the Court of Appeal make a ruling on their case. As they return home to their children, they hope life might begin to return to normal - but nothing about their lives is now normal. The DPP continues to pursue this case. A second trial takes place, before a third is scheduled - until the moment they’ve waited so long for, arrives - and everyone finally starts to believe them… If you have any information or knowledge about this story please email us documentaries@rte.ie or investigations@rte.ie or you can give us an anonymous tip via www.rte.ie/firstconviction
Credits: First Conviction is hosted by Ruth Negga. It's written and produced by Tim Desmond and Liam O’Brien working together with the RTÉ Investigates team of reporter Pam Fraher, producer Philip Gallagher, assistant editor Aoife Hegarty and Editor David Doran. Sound design by Ciarán Cullen. Sayeed’s words are given voice by Steve Hartland and Halawa’s by Esosa Ighodaro. Legal advice from Deirdre Ann Kelly & Eleanor Bleahene. Original music written by Mel Mercier & performed by Karl Nesbitt, Paul O’Donnell, Niwel Tsumbu, Clara Sanabras with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra conducted by Gavin Maloney. Orchestral String Arrangements by Áine Delaney. Music recording engineers, Donncha Moynihan and Ciarán Cullen. Studio voiceover recordings by Ronan Kelly. Readings are by Dawn Bradfield, Razib Chatterjee, Patrick Dunne, Gerry Gill and Louise Lewis. Production assistance from Shauna McGreevy and Nicoline Greer. Audio product support by Nigel Wheatley. Promo Producer, Fiona Savage. Marketing by Christopher Hayes and Maria Buckley. Design and creatives by Michael McKeon, Sean Malone, Scott Bryan, John Kilkenny and Darragh Treacy. Publicity by Laura Fitzgerald. Socials by James Hartigan & Kate Smyth. London recording engineer, Luke Nagy. Additional online editorial content by Anna Joyce. Publishing weekly.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | There's something we've really wanted to tell you throughout all of this series, but couldn't |
| 0:07.6 | until now. |
| 0:09.8 | The crime Saeed and Halawa were accused of an act of FGM on their daughter Aisha. |
| 0:16.3 | Medical experts on both sides of this case now say it never happened. |
| 0:22.4 | No FGM took place. |
| 0:24.8 | The system got it wrong. |
| 0:27.3 | I'll repeat that. |
| 0:28.9 | This is a story about a crime that never happened. |
| 0:33.7 | Which makes it even more strange that today, right now, |
| 0:37.4 | the state is fighting Saeed and Halawa, |
| 0:40.2 | trying to stop them getting their case recognised as a miscarriage of justice. |
| 0:45.0 | But before we bring this story up to the present day, we need to go back, back to the summer of 2021. |
| 0:53.5 | Saeed and Halawa have spent about 18 months in prison, with no sign they'll be getting out of |
| 0:59.3 | jail any time soon. |
| 1:01.2 | And a final reminder that this episode makes reference to acts of violence against young girls. |
| 1:06.6 | And don't forget that a TV documentary follows this series and will be available to watch at 9.35pm |
| 1:13.2 | on November 12th on RTE1 or any time after on the RTE player. |
| 1:19.3 | From RTE Investigates and RTE Documentary on 1, |
| 1:23.4 | I'm Ruth Naga and this is first conviction. |
| 1:29.0 | Welcome to the sixth and final episode, Limbo. |
| 1:34.2 | Well, I've texted her to say, we are doing serious. |
| 1:37.6 | At the end of episode five, Pam and Tim had travelled to Uppsala, north of Stockholm in Sweden, |
... |
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