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The Untold: Child Rescue

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02/05/2016

Child Rescue

BBC Radio 4 - The Untold, Child Rescue

Grace Dent follows the case of the UK man caught trying to smuggle a child.

Former soldier Rob Lawrie avoided jail after attempting to sneak Bahar from Calais into Britain. He claimed he was rescuing her; the authorities said she was in danger in his van.

In the first of a new series of The Untold Grace Dent looks at the case and asks what you would have done? 

Bahar and her Dad, Reza, fled from the Taliban in Afghanistan and made the journey across Europe to reach Calais. They have relatives in Leeds and had struck up a friendship with Rob Lawrie when he was working in the camp as a volunteer. At the end of his time there they begged for help and he agreed to put the little girl in the cabin of his lorry. His actions were foiled when sniffer dogs at the border found two Eritrean men who, unknown to him, had stowed in the back of his van. He faced a prison sentence of up to five years following his arrest.

Producer Sue Mitchell has been alongside him following his return from France. The January court hearing in Bologna was a media frenzy, with people across the world debating the rights and wrongs of his actions. He was found guilty of 'child endangerment' for his attempt to smuggle Bahar into Britain and was given a suspended fine of 1,000 Euros. But he has paid a heavy price for his actions on many fronts: his wife has left him, taking the four children with her and he now faces the task of rebuilding his own life whilst also trying to help Bahar and Reza reach Britain

He has struggled to cope and on his return he attempts suicide. He sold his carpet cleaning business to go to France, a move he took after seeing the images of three year old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi. Because he was in care as a child he wanted to try and help other children neglected by the system. He has bi-polar disorder and staying well is difficult, but what eventually helps is the huge swell of public opinion in favour of his actions, with many well-wishers spurring him on and sending donations for those in the camps. This interest in his story and the prominence it gives to child refugees has sparked interest from Hollywood and longer term there might well be a movie.

But for now there are these recordings, made in the weeks following his return home as he contemplates his future and shares his story with the Untold, which is presented by Grace Dent.
Produced by Sue Mitchell.

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