BBC1
On 30th October 1975, Sonia McCann woke her five year old brother Richard to tell him their mother Wilma hadn’t come home. The children put on their dressing gowns and walked to the nearest bus stop to wait for her to return.
Later that morning Wilma McCann's body was found lying on the playing fields behind the family's home. She was the first victim of Peter Sutcliffe - the Yorkshire Ripper. For thirty years, Richard and Sonia have been haunted by what Sutcliffe did to their family. Not only have they had to cope with the loss of their mother, they've also had to live with the knowledge that she was brutally killed and mutilated by a man who has become infamous for preying on prostitutes.
Richard and Sonia spent their childhoods in and out of children’s homes and foster families. The death of their mother at such a young age threw their lives into disarray and saw Sonia develop alcoholism, and Richard spend time in prison for drug offences.
Thirty years after the death of their mother, The Ripper Murdered My Mum tells the story of Richard and Sonia’s journey to find out more about her, to discover whether she was a prostitute and to finally take away Sutcliffe’s control over their lives.
As they search for other children orphaned by the Ripper, the brother and sister embark on a devastating journey of discovery that takes them through despair and disappointment, before they can finally lay Wilma’s memory to rest.
In memory of Sonia Newlands, 1968-2007.