Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge

Original version

BBC One

BBC One Channel Islands

Documentaries

Factual: Crime & Justice

Factual: Crime & Justice: True Crime

Zara McDermott explores the mysterious disappearance of 19-year-old Gaia Pope-Sutherland.

Series 1

BBC Three

BBC Three HD

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One East HD

BBC One North West HD

BBC One London

London

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West HD

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One South East HD

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands HD

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Yorkshire HD

BBC One North East & Cumbria HD

BBC One West Midlands HD

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC One South HD

BBC One Oxfordshire HD

BBC One East Midlands

BBC One Yorks & Lincs HD

BBC One Oxfordshire

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region. Separated as BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One London HD

BBC One Channel Islands HD

BBC One South West

BBC One Cambridgeshire HD

BBC One North West

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

BBC One West HD

BBC One Nightlight

BBC One West Midlands

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

Simulcast of BBC One Scotland in high definition. From 14/01/2013

BBC One Scotland HD

Simulcast of BBC One Northern Ireland in high definition. From 24/10/2012

BBC One Northern Ireland HD

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

Simulcast of BBC One Wales in high definition. From 29/01/2013

BBC One Wales HD

BBC One Wales

Wales

Zara McDermott

Sam Whittaker

Lucy Hillman

Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge: Series 1: Episode 3

Episode 3

BBC Three - Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge, Series 1, Episode 3

Zara McDermott discovers the final pieces of the mystery surrounding Gaia’s death.

Gaia was experiencing a severe mental health crisis on the day she disappeared. Zara McDermott discovers the final pieces of the jigsaw in the mystery that surrounds her death.

Zara McDermott discovers that Gaia’s alleged attacker contacted her ten months before she went missing. As her older sister Clara says, the texts were 'inherently threatening' and triggered a mental health crisis. As her attempts to get a restraining order were declined, Gaia spiralled. 

Within a month of receiving the texts, Gaia was in hospital, sectioned under the Mental Health Act for her own safety. Though Gaia’s alleged rape was dropped by Dorset Police at the time due to a lack of evidence, Gaia’s alleged attacker was imprisoned for other child sex crimes. When Gaia hears that he might be imminently released, it triggers a final crisis, exacerbated by being sent indecent images by a stranger on social media.

During the episode, the inquest into Gaia’s death - one of the longest individual inquests in British history - starts to reveal vital clues into her final months and days, unearthing over 50 missed opportunities in her care and search for her.

Talking to a key independent mental health witness and the former Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset at the time of her death, Zara puts together the pieces of the jigsaw that led Gaia to run that day, what finally led to her tragic death on Dancing Ledge, and asks the family what needs to change in the future to better protect young women and girls.

Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge: Series 1

A multi-platform service for 16-34s, featuring comedy, entertainment and factual content.

The BBC’s multi-platform service for 16 to 34s, innovating with breakthrough comedy, stand-out entertainment, brave documentary and intellectual factual content.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge

Series 1

Episode 3

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Brand

Series

BBC One Channel Islands

About BBC One