Paradise lost
The Pitcairn Trials review
Production company – Audio Always/Wondery
Rating – 
Growing up in the UK, I don’t think there is anyone who has never heard of the mutiny on the Bounty. Actually, I spoke to someone yesterday who had never heard of it, but he’s in his 20s. What do they teach the kids in school nowadays anyway? For those of you who don’t know the story though, I will quickly go over it here.
In 1789, the ship Bounty was travelling to Tahiti to collect breadfruit. During the five month layover, the crewmen formed relationships with the islanders and became somewhat disillusioned with naval discipline. On the return voyage a mutiny erupted, led by Fletcher Christian. The crewmen cast William Bligh and other loyal crewmen adrift in an open boat and fled. Some settled in Tahiti, most of them took refuge on Pitcairn Island.
Descendants of those original mutineers and Tahitians live on Pitcairn Island to this day. So now you know. Every day’s a school day eh?
So what’s it about?
This tiny little island in the middle of nowhere was hardly a concern for anyone. Tourists could visit, and it’s remote location and connection to the story of the Bounty added a certain romance to the place. However, in 1999, the UK police get informed of a very serious crime. The rape of a child. A 15 year old girl presses charges against her abuser, and in the ensuing investigation, what came to light shocked the the entire justice system.
From there, the UK police are faced with a daunting challenge. Pitcairn Island really has no police force. There are fewer than 100 people on the island, and no crime. At least, no crime that gets reported, its hard to have crime when there’s no law. They send an officer over to interview the girl and what comes to light is horrific. There is a history of sexual abuse of young girls, dating back at least decades, but quite probably since the inception of the society on the island.
The question is though, how can you possibly seek justice in a place where the society would literally collapse in the wake of the findings. Mainly because the men do everything, and if they are incarcerated, then the rest of the population would literally starve. Due to the unique geography, there is no runway, so visitors have to arrive by boat. Because of the reef that surrounds the place, the men of the island meet the boats offshore in their “longboats”. This is not only how any visitors arrive, but also how all of the supplies arrived too. There is a reason that the mutineers on Tahiti faced justice, but the Pitcairn islanders didn’t.
Is it any good?
As usual from Wondery, this is an excellent show. The story itself is almost unimaginable. The tagline for the show is very true. “What people do when they know no-one is watching”. I have probably butchered that, but typically, when I want to find a quote, it seems to disappear.
The sheer isolation of the island has prevented any previous investigation of historic cases. That is, when anyone actually believed the women who came forward. And that is the crux of the show. On this remote corner of the Southern Pacific, out of sight really is out of mind.
The presenter, Luke Jones does an admirable job of treating the case with sympathy. It would be all too easy to focus on the more gruesome details and drag the story down to tabloid sensationalism. He has great skill in getting the women to open up about their story.
While I have given this a high score, and it is undoubtedly a great show, you should be aware of what you are getting into. This is a story of child sexual abuse on a grand scale. There are no punches pulled here, and the victims’ stories are harrowing. If that ain’t something you can cope with, then I suggest you give this a miss.
Final thoughts
This is a story in a similar vein to Hunting Warhead. I would use this comparison lightly though. The inhabitants of Pitcairn have been culturally geared towards this behaviour. This is especially apparent when the other women of the island voice their opinions on the case.
The ultimate question, at the resolution of this unique case, is not whether justice was done, but whether justice could be done. Whether the sentences handed out were justified. Could the British government propose to relocate all of the inhabitants just so the accused could serve their time. I mean, that is what would have to happen.
It seems that it was a hollow victory, and my heart goes out to all of the victims.
You can get The Pitcairn Trials here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods