"The Girl Who Caught a Killer"
Brand-new Sky Original documentary, "The Girl Who Caught a Killer," will air on Sky and streaming service NOW on 25 May. The two-part series tells the shocking story of Rachael Watts, who breaks her thirty-year silence to share her story for the first time on camera, revealing how she survived a brutal abduction and assault, leading to the revelation of a devastating miscarriage of justice.
The series is a Plimsoll Production, commissioned for Sky Documentaries. The Executive Producers are Richard Klein and Kate Beetham for Plimsoll Productions and Kathryn Taylor and Emily-Jayne Wilde for Sky. The series is directed by Tanya Stephan. The Producers are Anastasia Arsan and Kate Hole.
Seven-year-old Rachael Watts was roller-skating outside her home when she was kidnapped by paedophile Russell Bishop, bundled into the boot of his car, and driven to a remote part of the South Downs. Bishop assaulted her, strangled her, and left her for dead. Miraculously, Rachael survived.
Four years earlier, the 'Babes in the Wood' murders of schoolgirls Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway had shocked the nation. Despite the evidence, the killer Russell Bishop walked free – free to proclaim his innocence and, sickeningly, lead a hunt for the "real" killer. Rachael not only survived the appalling attack on her but was able to pick out her attacker from a police lineup. Bishop was found guilty of her attempted murder, and Rachael’s identity remained a secret.
Now, in this new two-part documentary series, Rachael breaks her thirty-year silence to share her story for the first time on camera, revealing the long-term impact of her trauma, and her role in helping convict a murderer. Alongside Rachael’s story, family members of Nicola Fellows describe their thirty-year struggle for justice, leading to a sensational re-trial.
Featuring the personal accounts of family, witnesses, police detectives, and with previously unreleased police footage and photos, the series gives unparalleled insight into one of the most notorious crimes in British history, how a second crime exposed the real killer, and how the testimony of one little girl finally caught a killer.