25 April 2024 – Detective Constable Kat Savage and Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins, Operation Reactivate (Image: BBC/Brinkworth Productions Ltd)

"I hope our viewers are inspired and captivated by the work of the cold case investigators in this series. The detectives’ skill and dedication and the meticulous work of the forensic scientists are extraordinary." — Tom Coveney, Head of Commissioning, Science

BBC Factual today announces a brand new two part series for BBC Two and iPlayer, Cold Case Investigators: Solving Britain’s Sex Crimes. This unprecedented access-based series looks at the cutting-edge science identifying the suspects in previously unsolved sex offences, following the determined detectives hot on their trails and the emotional stories of the victims at the heart of these cases.

Using the latest DNA techniques, a remarkable team of detectives from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire’s Major Crime Unit reinvestigate unsolved sexual offences dating back to the 1980s. Can they hunt down the offenders and finally get justice for their victims?

Across the UK, there are hundreds of thousands of unsolved sexual offences lying dormant in police archives*; some go back decades. This dedicated unit has thrown its weight behind a pioneering forensic and investigative project - to look once again at 5,400 unsolved rape and sexual assault cases from the last 50 years.

By harnessing the power of modern DNA techniques, this exceptional group of detectives has been achieving what was previously impossible – identifying perpetrators and getting justice for victims whose crimes happened years ago.

In this compelling series, this group of indomitable detectives focus on three previously unsolved cases: three teenage girls who were attacked on the way home from school in the early 2000s; a 16-year-old boy who was raped whilst walking home through a park in 1983; and a woman who was kidnapped and raped after she got in a taxi on the way home from a night out in 1993.

The Unit has achieved great success, winning 90% of the cases it has taken to court, proving that there is no timescale on justice. And with conviction rates around the country so low, it raises the question: what impact could it have if more police forces around the country did the same?

Tom Coveney, Head of Commissioning, Science, says: “I hope our viewers are inspired and captivated by the work of the cold case investigators in this series. The detectives’ skill and dedication and the meticulous work of the forensic scientists are extraordinary. But ultimately these investigations are about delivering justice for victims, and we’re incredibly grateful to the victims who’ve chosen to share their stories with our audience.”

Cold Case Investigators: Solving Britain’s Sex Crimes, a 2x60’ Series for BBC Two and iPlayer, is made by Brinkworth Productions Ltd. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producer is Malcolm Brinkworth, the Series Director is Natasha Zinni and the Commissioning Editor is Tom Coveney, Head of Commissioning, Science.