From the age of two, David Freeman was hidden with a group of children in a remote country house, described as a school that was actually a prison.

The cult, led by the charismatic and seriously loopy Anne Hamilton-Byrne, survived for 20 years.

David spent most of his adult life trying to forget - moving to Iceland, marrying, fathering children and working outdoors as a roof contractor until he finally understood he needed to deal with his past.

After years of substance abuse and nearly committing suicide, David reached out to one of the original investigators, Julie Cochrane, who had become a psychologist.

For the first time, David tells his story.

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If you or anyone you know needs support, call Lifeline 13 11 14, Mensline 1300 789 978, or the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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Howard Nathan was a Supreme Court judge for 14 years. Many of his peers did not accept him because he was gay, Jewish and left-wing. One judge did not speak to him during his entire time on the bench.

In a frank interview, Nathan talks of the hypocrisy of the establishment where gays were hounded, often by men who themselves lived double lives.

He reveals that as a teenager he was picked up by a man who became a senior police officer - the very man who later was active in shutting down an investigation into a paedophile priest.

And he relives the moment in 1980 when a gunman killed three people in the Supreme Court, right in front of him.

A rare insight into a remarkable man.

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Join John Silvester, Australia’s longest-serving crime reporter, as he talks to the cops and the crims in the sixth season of crime podcast Naked City.

The new season will premiere on Wednesday, June 14, and new episodes will drop each Wednesday. Subscribe now and get all the episodes straight to your device. 

For the latest news and views from John Silvester (aka Sly of the Underworld), subscribe to The Age  https://subscribe.theage.com.au or the Sydney Morning Herald  https://subscribe.smh.com.au

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The astonishing true story of how Melbourne homicide detectives broke all the rules in their quest to have Katia Pyliotis convicted for brutally murdering a dirty old man with a statue of the Virgin Mary.

The Confession is a podcast where the justice system itself is on trial.

At the centre of it all, is Katia Pyliotis, accused of bludgeoning a man to death. Four years of Katia’s life is spent behind bars, until the truth emerges because of a stroke of luck.

Richard Baker tells the story of a murder, a botched trial and the system that allowed it to happen.

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Peter Morgan and his twin Doug used their identical looks to fool police while pulling two dozen armed robberies in Victoria.

That is until tough country cop Rick Hasty confronted Peter in a Ballarat laneway, who hours earlier had shot Hasty's colleague Ray Koch outside a bank.

Peter reckons the shooting was an accident. Hasty wants to set the record straight and he has a surprising ally in Doug.

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Policeman Rod Miller came home tired from a late shift but took the time to sign more than 60 thankyou cards to friends and family who congratulated him and his wife Carmel on the birth of their first child.

By the time they arrived, he was dead, shot while on duty.

Peter Silk didn't believe the first call that his brother Gary had been shot with Rod.

Carmel and Peter (who later married) share their remarkable stories with us. They refuse to be defined as victims and are an inspiration.

Courage comes in many forms.

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When police officers Gary Silk and Rod Miller were fatally shot the crime scene was chaotic as it was believed one of the armed offenders was still there and likely to try and kill more cops.

The first responders tried to comfort the mortally wounded Miller and hunt for the gunman on the loose. Some left part of their souls in Cochranes Road that early morning. 

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You can find support for trauma at: 

• Life Line: 13 11 14
• Mental Health: 1800 629 354
• Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800 (free call)
• Mensline Australia: 1300 78 99 78
• www.beyondblue.org.au
• www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
• www.sane.org

 

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When Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rod Miller pulled over a blue Hyundai in Moorabbin in 1998 while on armed robbery stake-out duty they had no inkling they were about to be ambushed. Their murders sparked a two year investigation and the conviction of two men.

One Jason Roberts, who always maintained his innocence, was eventually granted a retrial and in 2022 was acquitted.

The murders, the investigation and the legal aftermath is one of the most controversial and tragic cases in Australia's history.

 

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Jill Meagher sent a text to her husband Tom - "Meet me at the pub" but he was asleep and missed the message.

By the the time he saw it she had been abducted and murdered as she walked the short distance from the bar to her home.

The murder 10 years ago outraged the community to the point thousands took to the streets. It took police six days to catch the killer.

Here, in their words, is how they did it. 

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When Bruce Aitken headed to an international airport for one of his hundreds of overseas trips, he would always take his golf bag – a fairly normal piece of luggage for a globe-trotting businessman.

For a man who wanted to be a professional baseball player, it was the world of golf that helped place millions of dollars at his feet without him ever having to step onto a course.

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