“Not guilty lads!”

On December 10, 1987, a man bursts out of the Brighton court room to inform the gathered crowd: his brother, Russell Bishop, has just been found not guilty of the double murder of two 9-year-old girls. There is just one problem: the jury has made a terrible mistake. Letting Bishop walk free will put an entire community in grave danger—and he would have gotten away if it wasn’t for a courageous 7 year-old who will step up to avenge the infamous Babes in the Wood murders.

To support Rachael’s ongoing healing journey: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rachael-russell-bishop-survivor-

Credits:

Written, directed and edited by Justin Chalifoux

Researched by Manon Lafosse

Voiceover by William Akana

Produced by Alexandra Salois & Salim Sader

Sources:

“The girl who caught a killer”, Sky UK Limited, 2025 (Plimsoll Productions, part of ITV’s Studios / Sky Documentaries)

“Babes in the Wood”. Faces of Evil, Woodcut Media, Crime + Investigation 2024

“The Babes in the Wood killer”. Faking it, Tears of a crime. Discovery Corporate Services Limited, 2024. (Woodcut Media, Crime + Investigation)

“Russell Bishop”. Britain Most Evil’s Killer. Woodcut Media Productions (part of Anthology group), 2020 (Sky, Woodcut media LTD)

“Babes in the wood” Trevor McDonald Documentary, Atticus Pictures, 2019

“The babes in the wood murders”, Once upon a crime. IWC Media Limited and Motion Content Group Limited, 2021

“The babes in the wood murders”, The Prosecutors. Gold Star Productions Ltd, 2018 (BBC Open University partnership)

October 1986, UK Crime Watch, BBC

Woman’s Hour Podcast, Weekend Woman's Hour: Rachael Watts, Dr Rosemary Coogan, Part-time Work, Failing the 11 Plus, 2022, BBC Studios