Avsnitt
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Liv Nervo is one of the world’s most successful female DJs, who along with her twin sister, make up NERVO. She was starting a family with a man she believed was the love of her life - but at six months pregnant, she discovered he had been living a double life. She says she entered the relationship under false pretences and wouldn't have consented to sex had she known the truth about his other relationship.
What happened to her reveals an intense debate about consent, the law and a lesser-known form of domestic abuse called reproductive coercion.
G for guidance - this programme contains strong language.
Presenter: Alys HarteProducer: Ben RobinsonTechnical Producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Manager: Tom DunsterEditor: Tara McDermott
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Hair Strand Tests can show if parents have been using drink or drugs. Such tests play can a central part in Family Court hearings every year as judges decide whether children should go into care or not. Some barristers have been raising the alarm over the way the tests are presented and interpreted in the Famly Court. And, for the first time, File on 4 Investigates talks to mothers who nearly lost their babies – thanks to hair strand tests.
Presenter: Sanchia BergSenior Producer: Anna MeiselProducer: Mary O'ReillyTechnical Producer: Kelly YoungProduction Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Image: Lead Senior Scientist Dr Ellie Menzies carrying out a hair strand test
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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As the government plans major reform of the England's Special Educational Needs system, File on 4 Investigates goes back to the floor, spending time with councils as funding decisions are made and with families trying to navigate a system in flux.
From home-schoolers in Whitley Bay to getting on board a school bus in Hackney, we'll hear about the challenges of delivering services to tens of thousands of children with SEN each year. As the number of young people who need extra support rises how will Councils balance their books?
Over a hundred schools have closed in England in the last five years. Analysis by the BBC’s Data team has shown that pupils with special educational needs have been disproportionately affected by school closures. These pupils made up 29% of those whose school has closed, which is higher than the national average.
We'll hear how the disruption of a school closing can affect those with additional needs, and their families.
Presenter: Hayley ClarkeProducer: Nicola DowlingTechnical Producer: Craig BoardmanProduction Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
(Thanks also to the BBC News Data Journalism team)
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Police have dealt with scores of cases involving home-made 3D printed guns in the UK in the last three years. Data obtained by File on 4 Investigates from the National Crime Agency shows that criminals and extremists have attempted to manufacture the weapons.
We hear from police who successfully prosecuted a group who had manufactured printed firearms to sell on to criminal gangs. As Adrian Goldberg asks, how much of a threat are these printed weapons in the UK and what can be done to deter people from making them?
Producer: Paul GrantTechnical Producers: Cameron Ward & Nicky EdwardsProduction Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
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Finance professionals who paid thousands for training courses in Dubai seemingly endorsed by a government official say they were duped by the British businessman behind them. Participants in the 12-week “accelerator” programmes say they provided little in the way of useful training, while the millions in potential investment offers promised to graduates never materialised.
File on 4 Investigates a trail of deception left by the British “finfluencer” behind the course.
Presenter: Yemisi AdegokeProducer: Rob ByrneTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
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DNA detectives track down the British soldiers who fathered children in Kenya then disappeared, leaving the children and their mothers without support.
With exclusive access to every stage of this cutting-edge process, we follow as a team of lawyers and a leading geneticist travel to Kenya. We witness the groundbreaking legal and scientific detective work used to find the missing military dads.
Lawyers believe British soldiers stationed at the army base in Nanyuki, Kenya, may have fathered hundreds of children over decades — the oldest we meet is now 70 the youngest just three years old.
What’s at stake is not only the reputation of the British armed forces and the UK’s post-colonial legacy. The mixed-heritage children have in some cases been ostracised by their communities and denied a chance of British citizenship since birth.
Presenter: Ivana DavidovicProducer: Josephine Casserly
A Long Form Audio production.
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Jack Butcher investigates allegations that children in West German welfare institutions were subjected to widespread medical abuse, including medical experiments.
During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, many children found themselves in West Germany's sprawling network of children's institutions. In recent years, Germany has been shocked by revelations that some were used as guinea pigs for powerful new drugs, including potent anti-psychotics, as doctors worked hand in hand with pharmaceutical companies to observe the effects of new medications on young children.
The allegations were first brought to public attention by Sylvia Wagner, a pharmaceutical historian who grew up in a care home, and whose own brother was a victim of medical abuse.
Pulling together Sylvia's research, speaking to victims and digging through the documentation, Jack Butcher and reporter Ilona Toller, who led a major investigation of the scandal for German national radio, lay bare the horrendous human cost and tell the story of the tenacious activists who have challenged the conscience of their nation.
Producer and Presenter: Jack ButcherWith reporting from Ilona Toller and Anouk Millet, and additional research by Leonie Mombaur.Executive Producer: Robert NicholsonSound Design: Phoebe McIndoeMix: Arlie AdlingtonA Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
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White disadvantaged girls are being overlooked, school leaders are warning. Whilst white working-class boys remain one of the worst performing group in their GCSEs, white girls from low income homes aren’t much further behind them.
File on 4 Investigates has worked with the BBC Data team to compare 2025's GCSE results in England with those of 2019. The team found that white working class girls in England have seen some of the biggest declines in attainment since 2019 - with just 38 percent of these students passing their English and Maths exams. All girls are down by 1.6 percentage points at GCSE but low-income white British girls are down by 6.4 percentage points. Cutting the link between 'background and success' and halving the 'disadvantage gap' is something the Department for Education has pledged to tackle.
In this programme we examine what is behind the decline for this group of girls and meet school leaders who are working to reverse it.
Reporter: Hayley MortimerProducer: Ashley KennedyTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Coordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
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What happens when the sperm or egg donor you choose isn’t the one you get? Northern Cyprus is a sun-soaked haven for affordable IVF. But behind the glossy clinic websites, parents are discovering their chosen sperm or egg donors might not have been used. For File on 4 Investigates Anna Collinson follows parents searching for answers and children wondering where they have come from.
File on 4 Investigates Sunshine & Secrets: The hidden side of IVF
Producer: Jo AdnittExecutive Producer: Rob BrownTechnical Producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Details of organisations offering information and support with infertility are available on the Pregnancy related issues page at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
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The UK was once a world leader in heart and lung transplantation. Pioneering surgeons attracted patients from all over the world. But the NHS has not kept pace with medical and technological developments and today the UK lags far behind most similar countries. It carries out fewer transplants and a lack of resources mean it doesn’t routinely use modern technologies. Many of the health service’s leading surgeons have left to work overseas in recent years, frustrated, they say, at the lack of attention transplant services have received from NHS England.
Through speaking to patients, surgeons and experts, File on Four Investigates looks at what the UK needs to do to update and transform this life-changing service.
Reporter Michael BuchananProducers: Adam Eley & Paul GrantTechnical Producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
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President Donald Trump won multiple elections thanks to support from the Maga movement - but cracks have begun to emerge in the broad coalition of America's political right.
The schism first emerged online as Maga supporters-turned-detractors began to criticise President Trump, saying he has failed to deliver on campaign promises they voted for. Maga congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene - once one of President Trump's most vocal supporters - quit Congress last year after becoming increasingly critical of the president over issues such as continued US involvement in foreign wars, the failure to tackle the cost of living in America - and failure to release all of the FBI's files on the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
But two months prior to her quitting, it was the murder of conservative influencer, Charlie Kirk, which really sent a shockwave through the movement. A power vacuum at the top has been filled by some curious characters, as other activists have fought for control of the space Kirk once dominated.
And when former Fox News host Tucker Carlson - perhaps the most influential thought leader in conservative America - invited Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes onto his podcast, a vicious debate kicked off which continues to this day.
Some Maga influencers say they'll welcome anyone into the fold, but more mainstream Republicans continue to call for the rejection of these elements - and are concerned they could cost the party votes in November's midterm elections.
Warning: This programme features and discusses some anti-Semitic and racist points of view.
Presenter: Mike WendlingProducer: Lucy ProctorEditor: Richard Fenton-Smith
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As the government’s flagship Employment Rights Act (2025) comes into force, File on 4 Investigates a loophole worrying experts: bogus self-employment. We discover hundreds of workers on government contracts are said to be wrongly classified as self-employed. This we are told is the tip of the iceberg as more employers increasingly choose to put workers on self-employed contracts rather than employing them as staff, without all the rights, bolstered under the new laws.
Some are suggesting that recent changes to National Insurance have meant more business owners are keeping workers off payroll to keep running costs down. We will look at small businesses where it’s become increasingly difficult to employ staff in the traditional way and find that some workers in hospitality for example like the flexibility that job apps can give them when picking up casual freelance work.
Presenter: Tom WallProducer: Rob ByrneTechnical producer: Cameron WardProduction Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Tara McDermott
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Sexual harassment and assault on the rail network is on the rise across England, Wales and Scotland but a lack of CCTV evidence is preventing justice for victims in some cases.
Claire Jones examines how broken cameras and train companies not retaining CCTV footage for long enough has been hampering police investigations. She goes on patrol with British Transport Police on the London Underground, speaks to police and victims about how frustrating it can be when key evidence cannot be accessed and sees some of the newest surveillance technology, currently not available on trains, in action.
Details of organisations offering help and support for anyone affected by sexual violence are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline Reporter: Claire JonesProducer: Nicola DowlingTechnical Producer: Richard HannafordProduction co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
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Boxing is on the rise with streaming giants now broadcasting major fights and heavy investment from Saudi Arabia reshaping the sport. But for boxers facing money or health problems out of the ring, help is not always easy to come by. As File on 4 Investigates discovers, some in boxing are now working towards a unified approach across the sport, which would help fighters throughout their careers, but can they make it work?
Reporter: Kal SajadProducer: Ashley KennedyAdditional research: Clive HammondTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Co-ordinators: Ellis Goodwin & Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Details of organisations offering help and support for the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline
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Virtual Wards, where patients receive hospital care at home, were heralded as one solution to help deal with the bed crisis in NHS hospitals. The system is popular with patients and has had successes, but some health boards in England have put the brakes on and the number of virtual beds has stalled in the last 12 months. Jane Deith meets the doctors on the front line of providing care to patients with acute conditions in their own homes and the people who benefit from being able to stay out of hospital.
Supporters of virtual wards or hospital at home say it's better for patients, saves money and prevents a significant number of hospital admissions. But some doctors question whether the system can make much difference unless it is introduced at scale.
District nurses are the original method of keeping people well and out of hospital. But in the last fifteen years, their number in England has almost halved - down 43 percent. Jane goes out with one nurse on a shift to see the work they do and hears from nurse leaders about concerns that district nurses are overstretched, leading to concerns about patient care.
Reporter: Jane DeithProducer: Paul GrantTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
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File on 4 Investigates: Missing Billions examines the changes to the financial system over the past ten years, including bank branch closures and the digitisation of the finance industry which has led to many financial assets being lost, mislaid or forgotten. It examines the scandal of £100 billion belonging to you and me, but kept by Britain's trusted financial institutions.
The documentary solves the mystery of some missing church silver, helps a frustrated ambulance worker hunt an elusive pension and hears from the valiant individuals leading the charge to make changes to the finance industry.
Featuring contributions from: Steve Webb (Former Pensions Minister), Helen Boyd (Reclaim Fund Ltd), Derek French (Campaign for Community Banking Services), Duncan Stevens (Asset Tracing Service Gretel), Tom Storey (Vaults Group), Les Clarke (Assets Recovered Ltd) plus responses from the NHS, South East Coast Ambulance Service, Santander UK and Lloyds bank.
Presenter, Simon BarnesReadings, Russell Bentley, Olivia MaceResearch, Bethanie DepreauxEditor, Ross BurmanProducer, Ashley GolderExecutive Producer, Kris Dyer
A Rakkit production for BBC Radio 4
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When a woman reported an allegation of rape against a serving police officer, she found herself in the dock, charged with perverting the course of justice. File on 4 Investigates hears how she went from being a potential victim to a suspect accused of lying.
Over the past decade, hundreds of rape complainants in England and Wales have been investigated for making false allegations. The programme examines when and why the justice system turns on those who come forward, and asks whether the safeguards meant to protect potential victims are being properly applied.
Producer: Hayley MortimerPresenter: Rebecca WoodsTechnical Producer: Richard HannafordProduction Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Details of organisations offering help and support for the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline
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File on 4 Investigates whether the risks associated with the popular hair loss drug Finasteride are understood, after a 2024 review by UK drug safety regulator the MHRA prompted by a lack of awareness of the drug’s side-effects. Finasteride’s most common side effects are reduced libido and erectile dysfunction, affecting more than one in a hundred patients. Some people also report low mood and suicidal thoughts.
As Johnny I'Anson discovers some hair loss clinics are failing to adequately warn customers at the consultation stage of the sexual side effects assocated with Finasteride.
The drug, which is highly effective at halting hair loss, is only available by private prescription for hair loss purposes.
But File on 4 Investigates discovers influencer accounts on the social media site TikTok promoting finasteride, also offering discounts for Finasteride with Manual, a popular UK men's health company. A lawyer expert told us that the videos we found constituted advertising.
As a prescription-only medicine, it’s illegal to advertise finasteride to the public like this. This programme flagged the videos to TikTok, and they have since been removed. The company has also banned three of the accounts promoting the drug, saying they breached its rules. Manual said it was not involved in the making of the influencers’ videos.
Presenter: Johnny I'AnsonProducer: Rob ByrneTechnical Producer: Richard HannafordProduction Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Details of organisations offering help and support with mental health are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline
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File on 4 Investigates reveals new data showing a significant rise in housing disrepair claims, now a growing market for unscrupulous No Win No Fee lawyers. Adrian Goldberg asks, has the Solicitors Regulation Authority learned its lessons from the collapse of the law firm SSB which left hundreds of householders with huge legal bills, and are they able to protect vulnerable social housing tenants from potentially risky NWNF claims?
File on 4 Investigates have been told by 5 major housing providers across England and Wales that housing disrepair claims have been growing significantly.
One social housing provider in the South of England with an estate of 85,000 homes has told us its seen a 375% rise in the number of legal claims launched by tenants in the last 5 years. We speak to John Golding, a 74 year old pensioner living in a housing association flat in Staffordshire about how a canvasser knocking on his door tried to pressurise him into pursuing a housing disrepair claim with a Manchester based No Win No Fee solicitors' firm.
Reporter: Adrian GoldbergProducer: Jim BoothAdditional research: Laura LongworthTechnical Producers: Richard Hannaford & Cameron WardProduction Coordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
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Do you give homeless people cash? Many people fear any donation will be misspent but a ground-breaking study in the UK is currently recruiting 125 homeless people to receive a large one-off cash payment, paid directly to them. There's no restrictions on what they can buy with the money. It can be used for anything, it’s entirely up to the individual how they choose to spend it. The aim of the project is to see if it will help people move on from homelessness for good. With exclusive access to the ongoing study, Michael Buchanan follows some of those who’ve been given the cash to see how the money is being spent and what impact it‘s having on their lives.
Reporter: Michael Buchanan Producers: Emma Forde and Rob Byrne Editor: Tara McDermottProduction Coordinator: Tim Fernley
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