Global investigations from the BBC. Gripping stories from around the world – delve into a World of Secrets.
Latest season:
DNA detectives track down the British soldiers who fathered children in Kenya then disappeared. The mothers and children were left without support. We join the quest for justice.
Also, previously on World of Secrets:
The Darkest Web: Two US special agents infiltrate the dark web to rescue children. With access to the elite global team who hunt down people creating and trading in child sexual abuse materials.
Death in Dubai: A woman falls from a tower block and her name starts trending. But behind the online rumours lies an even darker reality.
And The Abercrombie Guys: Investigating sexual exploitation claims against the former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Cathy and Peter are now speaking with their dads. But are the new relationships all they hoped for? Lawyer James Netto has a “day in court like no other” when a father makes a shock appearance. And we travel to a barracks in the South of England to ask pressing questions of the British Army. Please note, the image being used is for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model. World of Secrets will be back soon with gripping new investigations. Presenter: Ivana Davidovic Series p...
Lawyer James has an extraordinary breakthrough for teenage orphan Yvonne. Could her father be alive? Meanwhile, it’s time for the big day in court. Can the legal team convince the judge to confirm Cathy and Peter’s fathers? Searching for Soldier Dad is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image being used is for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model. Presenter: Ivana Davidovic Series producer: Josephine Casserly Sound design: Tom Bri...
Cathy and Peter confront their demons. Their searches for their fathers take them to dark and desperate places. And back in London, it’s time to reveal the results of the DNA analysis, with life-changing consequences. This episode contains references to suicide and self-harm, which some listeners may find upsetting. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countri...
How did the hunt for an American serial killer inspire DNA detectives in Kenya? Growing up, Kenyan lawyer Kelvin Kubai admired the British soldiers stationed in Nanyuki. Now, he is on a mission to hold them accountable. Orphan Yvonne was told her dad died when she was a baby. She hopes to find relatives in the UK. But could she get much more? Searching for Soldier Dad is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image being used is for illustrative purposes onl...
Why don’t I have a father? Cathy is 10 years old when she starts asking questions. The secret her mum Maggie is forced to reveal changes everything. Years later, when lawyers and a geneticist turn up in their hometown in Kenya to take DNA samples, Maggie hopes they can help her finally learn the truth. Searching for Soldier Dad is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image being used is for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model. Pres...
DNA detectives track down the British soldiers who fathered children in Kenya then disappeared, leaving the children and their mothers without support. With access to every stage of this cutting-edge process, we follow as a team of lawyers and a leading geneticist travel to Kenya to help locate the British soldiers who fathered children then vanished. We witness the groundbreaking legal and scientific detective work used to find the missing dads. Episodes released from 20th April. Searching for ...
A Swedish investigation into online child abuse exposes Staton Grubert, leading US Homeland Security to orchestrate a tense nighttime raid on his rural Texas trailer. His sister, Elisa, finally finds validation for her own childhood abuse and confronts her family with the truth. The episode culminates in Grubert's conviction and a poignant reunion between an agent and Lucy, a survivor rescued years prior, who shares the lasting impact of her trauma and advocates for future victims.
Pete and Greg have learnt about a paedophile calling himself “Twinkle”, who runs a website dedicated to sharing images of very young children. At first, they have no idea who he is or where he could be, but slowly Twinkle gives himself away. Working with investigators in Brazil and Portugal the agents discover that Twinkle is a young man living in rural Portugal. Greg flies out to assist with the arrest and discovers some very disturbing scenes. This episode talks about child sexual abuse from t...
After they rescue Lucy, Greg and Pete discover the dark web community is even bigger than they thought. There are hundreds of websites each sharing different images of different kinds of child sexual abuse. Overwhelmed by what they have found online and the sheer scale of the problem, Greg makes a decision to go undercover. He will go online on the dark web and talk to the paedophiles directly. They have to do everything they can to try to stop the abusers. This podcast includes some upsetting s...
US Special Agents Greg and Pete are desperate. Somewhere in America a twelve year old girl, who they have called Lucy, is being sexually abused. Her abuser has been sharing images of his abuse for six years on the dark web. They have to find her - and save her. They were convinced that Facebook would be able to help them using its facial recognition technology, but the tech giant is unable to help. So they go back to the start, examining every single thing they can see in the room she is being a...
US Special Agents Greg and Pete are desperate. Somewhere in America a twelve year old girl, who they have called Lucy, is being sexually abused. Her abuser has been sharing images of his abuse for six years on the dark web. They have to find her - and save her. They were convinced that Facebook would be able to help them using its facial recognition technology, but the tech giant is unable to help. So they go back to the start , examining every single thing they can see in the room she is being ...
US Special Agents Greg Squire and Pete Manning work together to track down people who sexually abuse children and share images of their abuse online. They thought they knew what they were dealing with but they’ve just discovered they have no idea. In a prison in Amsterdam they meet a prolific paedophile, Robert Micklesons, who reveals to them the vast online world created by paedophiles to share images and video of child sexual abuse. When they get back to the US they get an urgent call. A polic...
Somewhere in America, a twelve year old girl is being abused in her own home. Her abuser is sharing photographs of her with a vast community of child abusers on the ‘dark web’ — an encrypted corner of the internet where users are untraceable. But, hidden amongst the paedophiles, are two men whose job it is to try and find her: US Special Agents Greg Squire and Pete Manning. For more than seven years, BBC Eye journalist Sam Piranty was granted rare access to follow their work, observing the extra...
After never receiving the money raised in their children’s name, mothers are finally confronting the scammers and demanding answers. Now is the time to ask why. Where is the money? Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model. World of Secrets will be back with gripping new investigations in 2026. Reporter and Presenter: Simi Jolaoso...
The investigation into why millions of dollars promised to families with sick children never reaches them moves to Israel. There we find misleading addresses and more questions than answers. Who is making these online campaigns which claim to help desperate parents? New ones keep appearing, but the story’s the same. Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and th...
A mother from Ukraine signs a contract, hoping that it will help her young daughter. Viktoriia has a brain tumour: her story is plastered all over social media despite her family’s request that the video they made isn’t shared. Olena says she wasn’t given time to read the contract properly. When we look more closely, it makes for shocking reading. Now she knows the truth, she wants to stop the scammers, agreeing to help us go undercover. Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a...
A woman called Isabel pushes a little girl to send videos from her hospital bed. It’s part of a recruitment drive for sick children in Colombia to take part in campaigns. What does she know about the hundreds of thousands of dollars that appear to have been raised? It’s money the family never saw. Who was she working for, and what can she tell us about this scam? Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image is ...
As videos of other sick children pleading for money are found online, we find out more about the man behind the camera. And it becomes clear that there’s a complex network of organisations registered in Israel, the United States and Canada, exploiting families who just need help. Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model. Reporter...
Seven-year-old Khalil from the Philippines has cancer. His family hope making a campaign video might save him, because they desperately need help to pay for his treatment. But the shoot is demanding, exhausting. Khalil even has onions put in front of his eyes to make him cry. For his mother Aljin, it’s a last-ditch attempt to help her son. But despite following every demand made by a “foreign sponsor”, she’s told the video doesn’t make any money. Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer S...
Your child is critically ill with cancer. It’s the worst news you can get. But to make the situation even more awful, you struggle to afford the care they need. So, when someone tells you a foreign sponsor can help raise the money, you’ll do anything. You make a video: your child begs for help from strangers online. But it comes to nothing. You wait and wait for the cash from the donations. It never comes, and all the while your child is fighting for their life. In this World of Secrets podcast ...
An undercover meeting with the pimp we’ve been investigating for two years. And a chase from Dubai to the UK to get answers. Back in Uganda, Monic’s family have been waiting for this moment. This episode includes discussion of suicide and some disturbing events. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model. If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers s...
The story behind the viral Dubai Porta Potty rumours and why, even in death, Monic became the subject of an online witch hunt. Meanwhile we go undercover – are we getting closer to Monic’s boss? And a breakthrough in the quest to find where she is buried. This episode includes discussion of disturbing events, including sexual abuse and violence. It also contains racist language. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model. Audio fo...
A key insider agrees to talk. He says he worked at the centre of this illegal prostitution ring. Why is he speaking out now? And what can he tell us about the world Monic was caught up in, and the man she was working for? We follow in Monic’s footsteps to the glitzy clubs and bars where we are told she was sent. This episode includes discussion of sex and abuse. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model. If you feel distressed by...
Kiera and Mia remember Monic as charismatic and kind-hearted. They were living with her in Dubai and can reveal the shocking reality of her life there, saying they were all trapped in a prostitution ring run by a man they believe is “the most powerful pimp in Dubai”. They say they’re scared of him but are determined to speak out, to get justice for their friend. This episode contains strong language. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in i...
Monic’s relative heads to the UAE, like her, in pursuit of a dream. But soon after, news of her death shatters everything. Devastated and distrusting of the police’s account, Michael takes the search for truth into his own hands leading to a dramatic confrontation. This episode contains strong language. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model. If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health prof...
Monic dreams of leaving her home in rural Uganda for a different life. So when a “friend” promises her a job in Dubai, it feels like the chance she’s been waiting for. Monic is elated, she is the first of her 11 siblings to travel abroad. But just a few months later she is dead. Her family is left searching for answers. What happened in Dubai? A warning that this podcast includes disturbing scenes, including discussion of sexual abuse and suicide. Some episodes also contain strong language. Plea...
A woman falls from a tower block. It's caught on camera and the clip goes viral. Within hours, Mona Kizz’s name is trending worldwide. In death, the beautiful 23-year-old Ugandan is accused of being a #DubaiPortaPotty. With over 450 million views on TikTok, the hashtag leads to parodies and speculative exposés of women suspected of being paid by men to be their human toilet. But behind the online rumours lies an even darker reality. Released from 15th September. This podcast includes disturbing ...
Sidhu predicted he would die young and by the bullet. Sidhu’s song The Last Ride plays like a premonition. In his final days the death threats intensify and Sidhu is increasingly isolated. We find out who benefited from his murder and how it’s changed Punjab - making it a more dangerous place. Can we finally get answers to why Sidhu was killed? Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur. Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye in...
Back home, Sidhu starts delving into Punjab’s violent past and singing about its place in modern India. He joins mass demonstrations which rock Delhi and writes a protest anthem for the movement. The death threats continue. And we find out that Sidhu is making friends with dangerous people. Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur. Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Archive audio cr...
Thousands from across India crowd the streets for Sidhu Moose Wala’s funeral, to grieve one of Punjab’s famous sons. Millions more watch. Flowers are thrown at the coffin, pulled by his favourite tractor. Amongst the grief are anger and unanswered questions– why was he not better protected? And we find out more about the world he was caught up in. Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur. Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye...
