Advertise on podcast: The Cruelty

In 2021, Davie Donaldson sought to solve the long-standing mystery of the Unknown Bairn, a young boy whose body washed up on a Scottish beach and was never claimed. Since that time, a number of Scottish Travellers have contacted him with stories of children being forcibly removed from their families. This becomes the catalyst for Davie’s investigation into why this happened and whether it was sanctioned by the church and state. Along the way, the mystery that began it all re-enters Davies’ life, taking him to a truth that’s been hidden in the shadows for too long. Presenter: Davie Donaldson Producer: Kate Bissell Research: Kate Bissell and Emily Essen Story Consultants: Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Music, Mix and Sound Design: Julian Corrie Executive Editor: Susie Crumless Commissioning Editor: Heather Kane Darling

The Unknown Bairn’s siblings tell Davie frightening stories that motivate him to look into the disappearance - and forced removal - of Traveller children. And as yet more Travellers come forward, Davie starts to question the scale of the state’s historic intervention into the lives of Traveller families in Scotland.

Suspicion falls on William Webb, a Chaplain from The Church of Scotland. His “Cruelty Van” would arrive at Scottish Traveller camps and take children from their families. Then, Davie’s trip to Leeds turns up clear evidence of the actors involved in the forced removal of Scottish Travellers.

In Helsinki, Davie meets former members of a Roma children’s home once visited by William Webb. He discovers the forced assimilation of Roma and Travellers in Finland mirrors much of what happened to Scottish Travellers. Then, in the course of his investigation, Davie uncovers a frightening secret, buried in Scotland’s past.

Rosanne McPhee’s dad joked about volunteering to be measured by a Nazi racial scientist because he knew each time his head was measured he would receive a shilling. Davie discovers this was just a part of a wider Nazi Eugenic Policy, which lead to the murder of millions of Roma in the Nazi death and concentration camps.

Bella is a young Scottish Traveller. Through the generations, her family has been broken apart by social services. She explains to Davie how she’s fought to keep her daughter from being taken into care and, in the process, been forced to cut herself off from her Traveller culture.

Davie receives a text message that changes so much of what he thought he knew about the Unknown Bairn and the boy he believed him to be. As a new investigation gets underway, a different story emerges.

Davie visits Strathmartine Hospital, a now derelict facility, where removed Traveller and non -Traveller children were sent and often never left. Davie needs to find out: what went on behind those walls?

Davie returns to the Unknown Bairn’s grave to address unfinished business with the family who found the boy’s body. And does a leaked report commissioned by the Scottish Government, offer hope of some form of restitution for the failures of church and state? Presenter: Davie Donaldson Producer: Kate Bissell Research: Kate Bissell and Emily Essen Story Consultants: Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Music, Mix and Sound Design: Julian Corrie Executive Editor: Susie Crumless Commissioning Editor: Heather Kane Darling

There’ve been many theories, but the case remains unsolved. Davie explores a controversial 20th-century social experiment and confronts a shocking reality that hits close to home.

Davie Donaldson begins his investigation into the case of the Unknown Bairn. At the memorial service he hears about a lead which has never been followed up. Presenter: Davie Donaldson Producer: Kate Bissell, BBC Scotland Productions. Researchers: Rachael Fulton and Catrina Rose Additional reporting: Cameron Mackay Story consultants: Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Sound Designer: Julian Corrie Music : Julian Corrie with additional tracks by Barry Jackson Executive Editor: Heather Kane Darling With thanks to Martin Conaghan for developing the initial podcast idea with BBC Scotland Productions.

Davie meets a former detective who worked on the case, but has since made claims in the press about the identity of the Unknown Bairn. Presenter: Davie Donaldson Producer: Kate Bissell, BBC Scotland Productions. Researchers: Rachael Fulton and Catrina Rose Additional reporting: Cameron Mackay Story consultants: Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Sound Designer: Julian Corrie Music : Julian Corrie with additional tracks by Barry Jackson Executive Editor: Heather Kane Darling With thanks to Martin Conaghan for developing the initial podcast idea with BBC Scotland Productions.

No one knew where The Unknown Bairn washed in from. Did he come from out of the sea, perhaps as far afield as the Netherlands or did he enter the water upstream in the River Tay. Presenter: Davie Donaldson Producer: Kate Bissell, BBC Scotland Productions. Researchers: Rachael Fulton and Catrina Rose Additional reporting: Cameron Mackay Story consultants: Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Sound Designer: Julian Corrie Music : Julian Corrie with additional tracks by Barry Jackson Executive Editor: Heather Kane Darling With thanks to Martin Conaghan for developing the initial podcast idea with BBC Scotland Productions.

In trying to work out how a child could remain unclaimed, Davie is forced to consider his father’s childhood and how it could be connected to the case. Presenter: Davie Donaldson Producer: Kate Bissell, BBC Scotland Productions. Researchers: Rachael Fulton and Catrina Rose Additional reporting: Cameron Mackay Story consultants: Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Sound Designer: Julian Corrie Music : Julian Corrie with additional tracks by Barry Jackson Executive Editor: Heather Kane Darling With thanks to Martin Conaghan for developing the initial podcast idea with BBC Scotland Productions.

Davie discovers the story of a little girl, possibly murdered in care, and is forced to question whether the Unknown Bairn could have met a similar fate. Presenter: Davie Donaldson Producer: Kate Bissell, BBC Scotland Productions. Researchers: Rachael Fulton and Catrina Rose Additional reporting: Cameron Mackay Story consultants: Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Sound Designer: Julian Corrie Music : Julian Corrie with additional tracks by Barry Jackson Executive Editor: Heather Kane Darling With thanks to Martin Conaghan for developing the initial podcast idea with BBC Scotland Productions.