The brand new documentary, which aired on BBC Two, has gripped viewers.
Aaron Swan in 2003 (Picture: BBC)
A tough-hitting true-crime documentary telling the story of 4 girls and their abuser aired on the BBC this week. Lover, Liar, Predator centres on the experiences of 4 girls — Jenni, Natalie, Shannon and Robyn — who had been every drawn into relationships with the identical man, later revealed to be a serial predator.
Aaron Swan was uncovered as a manipulator and convicted intercourse offender whose violent and coercive behaviour spanned a few years and a number of relationships. Starting within the early 2000s, he shaped relationships with the ladies over a protracted time frame, with a few of his victims first assembly him as youngsters. Throughout the documentary, the ladies recount how his attraction, manipulation and coercive management steadily remoted them from family and friends, trapping them in cycles of abuse.
Swan and Jenni (Picture: BBC)
Because the documentary unfolds, viewers watch them piece collectively their overlapping experiences and recognise a transparent sample of behaviour.
Though Swan was repeatedly reported to authorities over time, early authorized motion was restricted, and allegations of sexual violence weren’t all the time acted upon. It was solely when the ladies pooled their experiences and got here ahead collectively that the total scale of his offending grew to become unimaginable to disregard.
Shifting backwards and forwards in time and informed largely within the girls’s personal phrases, the documentary reveals how their abuser was in a position to evade justice for thus lengthy — regardless of being positioned on the intercourse offenders register on two separate events.
The movie additionally uncovers how his later victims finally discovered a strategy to put him behind bars, with essential assist from his first spouse, who had been denied justice many years earlier.
Followers and critics have been applauding the documentary for the bravery of the ladies concerned and for tackling such an vital, hard-hitting topic.
Guardian TV critic Lucy Mangan awarded the documentary 4 stars and wrote “this horrifying movie ought to be proven in each college”.
In the meantime, @rachsloann wrote on X: “Watched essentially the most unbelievable documentary by likelihood final night time and actually cannot advocate it sufficient – #LoverLiarPredator smartest thing I’ve seen on telly for ages and all the girls had been completely wonderful.
“Flicked over on a whim and ended up in floods of tears by the top. So extremely highly effective and resonated with me and my very own life a lot – 4 completely wonderful girls.”
@SandraW70403194 stated: “I can not advocate this extra. It’s a completely sensible documentary #LoverLiarPredator.”
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One other, @helensaxby11, wrote: “Suggest the documentary #LoverLiarPredator. It illustrates the dynamics of home abuse/coercive management (notably good on why girls do not need to consider they have been raped) and it ends with the constructive power of feminine teams for therapeutic.”
Lover, Liar, Predator aired on BBC Two and is offered to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
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