Charlene: Somebody Knows Something

On Saturday 1st of November 2003, fourteen-year-old Charlene Downes disappeared from her hometown of Blackpool. The story of what happened to her has haunted the town ever since – but is it true?Twenty years later, another Blackpool girl, broadcaster Nicola Thorp, looks into this case that she remembers from her childhood. But she quickly finds out that it goes deeper than she could have imagined.Nicola revisits the immediate aftermath of Charlene’s disappearance. When the police respond, they discover that dark secrets are being kept in Blackpool.The following content may feel overwhelming. Everyone's Invited was built on the voices of brave survivors who shared their submissions with us. If you would like to share your experience, please submit it via the Everyone’s Invited Survivor Safe Space at: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/submissions/submit

Two men are arrested and charged – for murdering Charlene and disposing of her body. Police and prosecutors believe they have the audio tapes to prove it. But it’s not so simple. What happens in the trial will shock everyone and shape this story for years to come.Nicola uncovers the drama in the court room, and the controversial conclusion to the trial that still haunts the case.The following content may feel overwhelming. Everyone's Invited was built on the voices of brave survivors who shared their submissions with us. If you would like to share your experience, please submit it via the Everyone’s Invited Survivor Safe Space at: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/submissions/submit

On a chilly morning in Blackpool, Nicola interviews Mohammed Raveshi, one of the men charged in relation to Charlene’s disappearance. Some still believe he is guilty. But as he tells the strange story of how he ended up on trial for the murder of a young girl, it just raises more questions.

In the wake of Charlene’s disappearance, the focus was on the network of men grooming young girls from late night takeaways. But what the public didn’t know was that these weren’t the only bad men in Charlene’s life. Nicola speaks to Charlene’s parents, Karen and Bob, and confronts them about what exactly was happening in the Downes household.The following content may feel overwhelming. Everyone's Invited was built on the voices of brave survivors who shared their submissions with us. If you would like to share your experience, please submit it via the Everyone’s Invited Survivor Safe Space at: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/submissions/submit

What had gone so wrong with Charlene’s case? After some very public failings, the police put one of their own in front of a disciplinary hearing. But this is bigger than one bad detective.  As Nicola investigates the fallout from the collapsed trial, she uncovers secrets, mistakes and mysteries that have her questioning everything about the case.The following content may feel overwhelming. Everyone's Invited was built on the voices of brave survivors who shared their submissions with us. If you would like to share your experience, please submit it via the Everyone’s Invited Survivor Safe Space at: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/submissions/submit

A witness gets in touch with Nicola, with new information that could be significant for the investigation. A mysterious flat, a suspect that has never been identified, and an intriguing possibility – did Charlene really disappear on that Saturday in November, after all? As she investigates, Nicola finds herself embroiled in the drama of the online cold-case community.The following content may feel overwhelming. Everyone's Invited was built on the voices of brave survivors who shared their submissions with us. If you would like to share your experience, please submit it via the Everyone’s Invited Survivor Safe Space at: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/submissions/submit