crime

Are self-swab kits ‘the start of the end of sexual violence’, or could they cause more harm than good?
Against a backdrop of chronic underreporting of sexual assaults, thousands of self-administered rape test kits have been distributed across Bristol, targeting university campuses. But are users, already coping with trauma, being given the clarity they need to make informed choices?
How a media backlash led to a St Paul’s woman’s dramatic release from prison
In 1933 Mary Burridge, a poor mother of five, was sentenced to a month’s hard labour after stealing a few items of food at Easter. But after a national outcry over her treatment, a wealthy lawyer flew to Cardiff to free her from prison.
Listen: Bristol Unpacked with filmmaker Aodh Breathnach on surviving being stabbed – and documenting its impact on him
With knife crime a tragically common part of life in Bristol and other cities, Neil talks to Aodh about the psychological trauma of being the victim of an attack, and the process of recovery.