Rochdale drama is distressing but gives victims a voice

HANDMAID Elisabeth Moss stars as Offred ABUSE Maxine Peake (second right) plays health worker Sara

When ITV’s Little Boy Blue ended on Monday night I wrote that it was the most upsetting programme I’d watched in a long while.

So I probably wasn’t quite ready last night to tackle BBC1’s new three-parter Three Girls.

This was possibly the most disturbing and upsetting TV drama I have ever seen.

Like Little Boy Blue, Three Girls was also based on a real-life crime – the Rochdale child sex abuse scandal.

Unlike Little Boy Blue it felt like the first time this story had been told properly.

We were all familiar with the Rhys Jones murder, but this was the first time faces – albeit those of actresses – had been given to the anonymous Rochdale victims.

It didn’t spare us any details either. If you found parts of last night’s opening episode too distressing to watch I should warn you it won’t get any easier tonight and tomorrow night.

You should still watch it if you can though.

And you shouldn’t feel like you are rubbernecking.

Just like Rhys’ parents, the Rochdale victims wanted their story told.

And while it feels a little odd to be talking about actors potentially profiting from other people’s pain, it would be a little unfair not to mention the fine performances on show here.

It’s probably no surprise that Maxine Peake dominates proceedings playing Sara Rowbotham, the irrepressible health worker who exposed the abuse.

But we should also praise the young actresses on the cast – particularly Molly Windsor who plays Holly.

This drama was possibly the most disturbing and upsetting I have ever seen on TV