Shots! TV Documentary: Silent crime investigation launches after an elderly lady is robbed at knifepoint

Watch Silent Crime: The untold stories of victims on demand at Shots! TV

National World Editor in Chief Nancy Fielder’s elderly mother was robbed at knife point while walking her dog in her local park. This shocking incident sparked an investigation into silent crime that doesn't make the headlines or goes completely unreported. These crimes can leave a devastating impact on the lives of individuals like Nancy’s mum and the surrounding community.

Nancy’s mother was almost 80 years old at the time, and used crutches to walk as she was recovering from a knee operation. She went to her local park to walk her dog around lunchtime on a Sunday. The elderly woman had walked around a deserted corner of the park, when a man walked up behind her holding a very large kitchen knife which he pointed at her chest. He then took her bag and quickly disappeared. 

The event terrified Nancy’s mother and shocked the surrounding community, who couldn’t believe what had happened on their doorstep. Nancy said, “There is a massive epidemic of crimes that are silently creeping in and making us feel unsafe. Really impacting on individuals lives and nothings being done.”

In this Shots! TV exclusive documentary, we investigate the rates of silent crime in the UK, including mugging, drink spiking, drunk and disorderly charges, shop theft and fly tipping. We hear from victims such as taxi drivers, shop keepers and local residents who are bearing the brunt of silent crimes, and we speak to a successful entrepreneur who turned her life around after being sucked into a life of petty crime from as young as six years old.

On top of raising awareness around the impact of silent crime, the episode aims to hold those in power to account and trigger a call for change.

Watch Silent Crime: The untold stories of victims on demand at Shots! TV