The Surgeon Of St Helena

What happens when a dangerous surgeon arrives on one of the world’s most remote islands? How much damage can he do before he is stopped?

St Helena is a small British island in the South Atlantic, over 1000 miles from the nearest landmass. It is famous for hosting Napoleon in exile, and boasts the world's oldest living land animal, Jonathan the tortoise, as one of its residents.

But this tiny British Overseas Territory has been gripped with scandal. When orthopedic surgeon Dr Sergio Villatoro Bran arrived in 2015 he was supposed to revolutionise care on the island. Instead he caused unimaginable harm.

Was it incompetence?

Or was he deliberately causing harm?

And is the government of St Helena trying to block the residents' fight for justice?

Following on from the critically acclaimed The Pitcairn Trials, Luke Jones investigates another scandal unfolding in one of Britain’s most isolated territories.

First episodes arrive June 28th 2026, hit follow so you don't miss this show.
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A brand new investigative series from the creators of The Pitcairn Trials is on the way! Luke Jones shares an exclusive update of what to expect and introduces an episode of his must listen new show. Click here to get to more episodes of Strangely and uncover the world's oddest, most fascinating stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones takes you behind The Pitcairn Trials, to answer some of your most-asked questions. We hear how he navigated interviewing Glenda, who grew up on Pitcairn and experienced abuse there, how he found his way through a maze of official legal documents and whether he would ever visit Pitcairn himself. Luke reveals the unanswered questions he still has from the series, and the areas he’d like to explore further. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Guilty men of Pitcairn received remarkably short prison sentences. Some on the island, sent to the luxury jail they helped to build. Some received community service, with time off to help with the island’s harvest and work. In the end the Pitcairn Trials cost £47 million, paid by the British taxpayer and government. By 2009 all the convicted men had been released. But the problem did not vanish in the years since. We examine what the future holds for Pitcairn. Can Pitcairn escape the shadows of its past? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Glenda takes the stand. Through interviews and court transcripts, we examine the Defence team’s arguments, and the legal debates that surrounded them. Glenda and police officer Peter George wait for the verdict in the UK. Peter gets it first, then phones Glenda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.