BBC Three to air Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight documentary

BBC Three is to air The Cleveland Captives: What Really Happened? looking at the incredible story of the three women in Cleveland, Ohio, found alive 10 years after they went missing.

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight were discovered after a neighbour heard screams from Ariel Castro’s house. The three women who had been missing were found with a six year-old girl at the home of the 52-year-old school bus driver on Monday the 6th May.

The programme will examine claims that police and law enforcement agencies failed to find the girls despite visiting the house and receiving complaints from neighbours. Both maintain they did all they could and deny receiving information that could have led to an earlier discovery.

The one off 60-minute documentary follows the recent commission of Oscar Pistorius: What Really Happened?, which looked at the events leading to the death of the athlete’s girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The documentary drew an audience of over one million to the channel and has been sold to 68 territories worldwide.

Fiona Campbell, Commissioning Editor for Independents at BBC News and Current Affairs, said: “BBC Three has proven their audience has a great appetite for fast-turnarounds on big global news stories. Following on from the success of Mentorn’s Oscar Pistorius film for the channel we look forward to hearing new insight and exclusive interviews on the captive Cleveland women’s stories.”

The Cleveland Captives: What Really Happened? will broadcast on BBC Three on Tuesday the 21st of May at 9pm.