Judged: A Mother's Love cover art

Judged: A Mother's Love

Judged: A Mother's Love

By: BBC Sounds
Listen for free

About this listen

Motherhood can feel full of judgement - sometimes over the smallest decisions, sometimes over the ones that change everything. But what happens when the stakes couldn't be higher?

In Judged: A Mother's Love, Katie Bridget Murphy explores three extraordinary stories of mothers facing impossible choices - choices that shaped birth, everyday life, and even death. These decisions didn't just transform their families; they variously uncovered hidden truths, challenged laws, and helped changed society itself. Through powerful testimony and expert insight, this series asks: what happens when motherhood is pushed to its limits?

Writer and Producer: Katie Bridget Murphy Senior Producer: Ophelia Byrne Executive Producer: Elizabeth Clark Sound Engineers: John Benson and Davy Neill Sound Design: Bill Maul Artwork: Tom Cunningham Assistant Commissioner: Prabhjit Bains Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer

Judged: A Mother's Love is a BBC Audio Northern Ireland production with BBC Sounds Audio Lab.

(C) BBC 2026
True Crime
Episodes
  • 6. Moral Courage
    Feb 10 2026

    In the final episode of Judged: A Mother’s Love, Diane Foley faces an extraordinary dilemma: to meet - and possibly forgive - one of the men who contributed to her son’s murder. Hers becomes a deeply personal act by a mother that inspires wider conversations about mercy and forgiveness, even in the most extreme circumstances.

    Writer and Producer: Katie Bridget Murphy Senior Producer: Ophelia Byrne Executive Producer: Elizabeth Clark Sound Engineers: John Benson and Davy Neill Sound Design: Bill Maul Artwork: Tom Cunningham Assistant Commissioner: Prabhjit Bains Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer

    Judged: A Mother’s Love is a BBC Audio Northern Ireland production with BBC Sounds Audio Lab.

    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • 5. The Empty Chair
    Feb 10 2026

    Katie Bridget Murphy meets Diane Foley, whose son Jim - a freelance journalist – is kidnapped when reporting from Syria. Diane is told by government officials to stay silent, but as months pass and hope fades, she decides to take action. From private prayers to public campaigns, her efforts will help spark an overhaul of how her government responds to hostage crises.

    With thanks to the Archival Collections and Institutional Repository, Raynor Library, Marquette University, for use of material from the James Foley Collection.

    Writer and Producer: Katie Bridget Murphy Senior Producer: Ophelia Byrne Executive Producer: Elizabeth Clark Sound Engineers: John Benson and Davy Neill Sound Design: Bill Maul Artwork: Tom Cunningham Assistant Commissioner: Prabhjit Bains Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer

    Judged: A Mother’s Love is a BBC Audio Northern Ireland production with BBC Sounds Audio Lab.

    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • 4. When Silence Breaks
    Feb 10 2026

    In this episode, Katie Bridget Murphy explores the landmark case that tested how the law views coercive control. Through interviews with David Challen, solicitor Harriet Wistrich and coercive control expert Emma Katz, this story reveals the barriers mothers can face, the questions society often asks - and why this case matters for countless others.

    With thanks to the Archival Collections and Institutional Repository, Raynor Library, Marquette University, for use of material from the James Foley Collection.

    Writer and Producer: Katie Bridget Murphy Senior Producer: Ophelia Byrne Executive Producer: Elizabeth Clark Sound Engineers: John Benson and Davy Neill Sound Design: Bill Maul Artwork: Tom Cunningham Assistant Commissioner: Prabhjit Bains Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer

    Judged: A Mother’s Love is a BBC Audio Northern Ireland production with BBC Sounds Audio Lab.

    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.