Eyewitness (2 x DVD)

Many of us will be a witness to a violent crime at least once in our lifetime. The police will require us to give a statement describing the event in detail. But recalling it won’t be easy because our memory plays tricks on us. Eyewitness statements can’t always be relied on.

This audacious and groundbreaking three part series (2-disc set - 180 minutes) from Open University, made in collaboration with Greater Manchester Police and BBC, explores the fallibility of human memory in witness testimony, by creating eyewitnesses and looking at real life cases crucial to the eyewitness story, as well as looking behind the scenes of the series and finding out more about the experts and their work.

Eyewitnesses play a crucial role in solving crimes, yet around 60% of wrongful
convictions are caused by mistaken eyewitness identification.

Using full scale staged crimes and investigations to test the memories of ten ordinary members of the public, this series discovers how what someone sees for just a few seconds could be the key to solving a crime – or could send the wrong person to prison.

Contains strong language, staged violence and emotional scenes.