Judged: A Mother's Love - 4. When Silence Breaks

In this episode, Katie Bridget Murphy explores the landmark case that tested how the law views coercive control. Through interviews with David Challen, solicitor Harriet Wistrich and coercive control expert Emma Katz, this story reveals the barriers mothers can face, the questions society often asks - and why this case matters for countless others.

With thanks to the Archival Collections and Institutional Repository, Raynor Library, Marquette University, for use of material from the James Foley Collection.

Writer and Producer: Katie Bridget Murphy
Senior Producer: Ophelia Byrne
Executive Producer: Elizabeth Clark
Sound Engineers: John Benson and Davy Neill
Sound Design: Bill Maul
Artwork: Tom Cunningham
Assistant Commissioner: Prabhjit Bains
Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer

Judged: A Mother’s Love is a BBC Audio Northern Ireland production with BBC Sounds Audio Lab.

Published on Tuesday, 10th February 2026.

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