Rachael Watts was seven years old when Russell Bishop abducted, attacked and sexually assaulted her in 1990. It is a crime that should never have happened, as back in 1987, Russell Bishop had been charged with the murders of two nine-year-olds, Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway. But police were unable to secure a conviction when a series of prosecution blunders meant evidence and testimonies failed to stand up in court. Bishop was able to walk free and three years later he abducted and attacked Rachael. Miraculously she survived and it was her testimony which finally meant Bishop was convicted and put behind bars, despite him protesting his innocence.
Dr Rosemary Coogan has been selected as an astronaut by the European Space Agency, becoming the first British woman to join their astronaut corps. She joins us in her first in-depth BBC interview to discuss the tough selection process, upcoming training and hopes for her first mission.
A cross-party coalition has launched a campaign to abolish the 11 plus entry exams. One of the members of the campaign is Jackie Malton, known for her success in the Met Police, and for being the real-life inspiration for the character DCI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect. Despite getting two masters degrees and a doctorate, she still feels ashamed about failing her 11 plus.
600,000 people in the UK are actively seeking part-time jobs, most of them women – but just twelve percent of jobs advertised in the UK currently offer part-time hours. We discuss with co-founder of Timewise, Emma Stewart MBE, and working mum Shaline Manhertz.
Why is social media obsessed with nurseries and toys in neutral, muted colours? We speak to Hayley DeRoche who coined the term ‘sad beige clothes for sad beige children’, and journalist Martha Alexander.
