Cherished (TV)

A drama based on the true story of Angela Cannings, who was tried for the murder of her babies. She spent two years in prison battling for justice before her conviction was eventually quashed. Angela was convicted of the murder of two of her children with no physical evidence. Her acquittal created a landmark in legal history, resulting in a change of the law. Since then, nobody can be convicted in a criminal case on expert witness alone without proper physical evidence, such as that which would be required in any murder case. Following the impact of the Cannings' judgment, a review into other possible miscarriages of justice has revealed that up to two dozen women might have been wrongly convicted. This review is ongoing. A new national protocol to ensure that all sudden infant deaths are investigated properly was announced in late 2004 following an inquiry chaired by Helena Kennedy QC.