New BBC Three series - Gaia:Death on Dancing Ledge

The story of Dorset teenager Gaia-Pope Sutherland's disappearance and death will feature in a three part TV documentary from tonight (Tuesday 25th July).

Gaia went missing in 2017 and was found dead 11 days later near the coast path at Swanage, having suffered hyperthermia.

The documentary will look at her family's search for the truth and the actions of the police and health care professionals.

It's being shown around the time of Gaia's 25th birthday, with the second two parts being shown tomorrow and Thursday (26th and 27th July).

The series is being fronted by Zara McDermott, who said:

"When I first heard about the disappearance of 19-year-old Gaia on the news in 2017, I was immediately struck by her story. She and I were the same age. I saw Gaia’s face on the news for days and days after this, and it really struck a chord with me.

The documentary opens with Kim, Gaia’s mother, first contacting the police, followed by more calls asking for further help, reminding them that Gaia had epilepsy but no medication with her and saying how out of character her disappearance was. Text messages among family and friends checking in with each other, racking their brains for more places she might have gone appear and disappear on screen in silent testimony to the love and affection in which she was held. Over 11 days, the police investigation changes from a search for a missing teen to a suspected murder inquiry, before she was eventually found to have died from exposure.

In the next episode, her family and friends describe Gaia’s growing distress and paranoia after a second date with Hayes in 2014. The film delves deeper into the last three years of Gaia’s life, which were dominated by the mental suffering caused, she eventually tells her mother and twin sister Maya, by being drugged and raped by Hayes. Hayes denies these allegations, and after investigating Gaia’s allegations police told her they were not going to prosecute him.

Only the first two episodes were made available for review, but I hope that the third continues to ask that question. It’s an essential topic that has to be addressed, even as this documentary – presumably – covers the rest of the facts of the police search and Gaia’s family’s attempts to get changes made to the various systems that were supposedly in place to help her, so that others might be saved these agonies.

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Sarah H

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