BBC Radio Podcasts from The Cruelty

Introducing The Cruelty – A Child Unclaimed

Davie Donaldson investigates The Unknown Bairn, a boy washed up and never claimed.

1. The Memorial

Fifty years after a little boy washed up in Tayport, locals hold a memorial for him.

2. The Couple on the Bus

Davie learns about a couple brought in for questioning. Can he find out who they were?

3. Lucky Scalp

The water knows where The Unknown Bairn came from. Will the tides give up their secret?

4. The Cruelty

Davie’s investigations lead him to a “lost generation” of children taken into care.

5. The Experiments

Can a 20th-century social experiment shine a light on the mystery of The Unknown Bairn?

6. The Boy on the Bike

Davie is given a concrete lead and makes a major breakthrough.

7. The Camp

The investigation hits close to home and a major new piece of the puzzle slots into place.

8. The Mother

Davie returns to the crucial question of why no one came forward to claim the child.

9. The Wee Boy

As Davie comes to the end of his investigation, will he reveal what he has discovered?

Introducing - The Cruelty - Stolen Generations

The mystery of the Unknown Bairn leads to a truth, hidden for too long.

1. Truth and Half Truths

The family of the Unknown Bairn come forward and the mystery of the boy deepens.

2. Fear and Sacrifice

Davie hears disturbing stories about the Church of Scotland’s Gypsy Mission.

3. Finland

Davie questions why a Church of Scotland Chaplain visited children’s homes in Finland.