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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
What this show covers
true crimemedical traumabureaucracycompensation claimsvictimscourt caseinvestigationinvestigative reportingcriminal chargesfamily impactcourtroomseries updateQ&A
What listeners will find here
On St Helena, Luke hits a wall while probing blocked compensation claims
This preview is based on the episode’s published show notes. In “Lawfare,” Luke struggles to get access to decision-makers on St Helena and, with Ruth, examines how the island’s bureaucracy may be preventing Sergio’s victims from receiving compensation.
A court fight in the UK—and a new twist in Ruth’s battle
This preview, based only on the published show notes, points to a pivotal episode: Ruth and her team take their case against the St Helena government to court in the UK. The notes also tease another twist and Luke’s effort to track down Dr Sergio’s current whereabouts.
A stranded trip and rising charges set the stage in "Landing"
This preview is based only on the published show notes. "Landing" follows Luke as a planned trip to St Helena to meet Dr Sergio Villatoro Bran’s victims is derailed by an airport closure, while the episode also looks back to 2023 as criminal charges against Sergio were building.
A sentencing trip to St Helena turns unexpectedly complicated
This preview is based only on the episode’s published notes. "Courtroom Drama" follows solicitor Ruth as she travels to St Helena for Sergio’s sentencing, while Luke meets a family she represents and hears how deeply Dr Sergio affected their lives.
A post-release Q&A with updates on The Surgeon of St Helena
This preview is based on the published show notes only. Luke returns after the release of The Surgeon of St Helena with updates, while producer Louisa Adams joins him in the studio to put listener questions to him.
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