Sarah Lancashire and Maxine Peake star in this hard-hitting two-part drama.

What sort of mother would allow her child to perform online for paedophiles? And how could the family's social worker let it happen? Told in two parts, This Repulsive Woman and Every Child Matters is a real-time drama that follows the stories of the two women at the centre of a fictional high profile court case and national scandal.

This Repulsive Woman stars Maxine Peake as Deborah Hurst, a woman tried and convicted of an offence under the Protection of Children Act 1978 after allowing her ten-year-old daughter, Paige, to dance semi-naked on the internet for paedophiles. The most vilified woman in the UK, she is interviewed by probation officer, Tony Jukes (played by Neil Dudgeon), who must draw up a pre-sentence report for the Court to consider. Tony digs deep, trying to uncover what would cause a mother to commit such an appalling crime. For Deborah, "It were nowt" - is she a depraved monster, or the cruel victim of circumstance?

In part two, Sarah Lancashire plays Joanne, Deborah Hurst's social worker, who failed to protect Deborah's daughter. It's six months since the case caused an outcry, and in Every Child Matters Joanne tells how her life has been destroyed by the leaking of her personal details to the tabloid press. Suspended from her job and waiting for a disciplinary tribunal, she decides to take a huge risk in the hope of seeking justice for Paige and closure for herself. Why was she victimised by the press and was she really to blame for what happened?

Sarah Lancashire shot to stardom as Coronation Street's Raquel Watts. She went on to star in such dramas as Clocking Off, Five Daughters and Last Tango in Halifax. She is perhaps best known for her role as Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley.

Maxine Peake played Myra Hindley in See No Evil and Veronica in three series of Shameless. George Costigan is best known for the cult movie Rita, Sue And Bob Too. He has also appeared in Shirley Valentine and Calendar Girls, and television shows Doctor Who and Happy Valley. Neil Dudgeon plays DCI John Barnaby in the hugely popular Midsomer Murders. Writer Christopher Reason's television credits include Eastenders, The Golden Hour and The Bill. His writing for radio includes The Good Soldier Svejk, A Second to Midnight, and The Age of Innocence.

Content Warning: This drama deals with adult themes

Cast and credits

Written by Christopher Reason

Directed by Stefan Escreet

Produced by Gary Brown

This Repulsive Woman

Deborah Hurst - Maxine Peake

Tony Jukes - Neil Dudgeon

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 February 2009

Every Child Matters

Joanne - Sarah Lancashire

David - George Costigan

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 October 2010