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Episode details

Sounds,17 Nov 2025,41 mins,

8. The Aftermath

The Pitcairn Trials
Contains scenes of a sexual nature, scenes of sexual violence and scenes which some viewers may find disturbing.

Available for 311 days

The guilty men of Pitcairn received remarkably short prison sentences. Some on the island, sent to the luxury jail they helped to build. Some received community service, with time off to help with the island’s harvest and work. In the end the Pitcairn Trials cost £47 million, paid by the British taxpayer and government. By 2009 all the convicted men had been released. But the problem did not vanish in the years since. We examine what the future holds for Pitcairn. Can Pitcairn escape the shadows of its past? If you have been affected by child sexual abuse, help and support is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline

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