The Unthinkable

The Unthinkable is taking a break, but Vikki and Emily will be back with some more episodes soon. We want to thank you for the support you've shown by listening and contacting us about the incredible guests and their experiences that they have generously shared for The Unthinkable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Act proven but not criminally responsible’ was the verdict against the perpetrator. So what does that mean for families? Bek was horrified to learn that after just three years, the girl who ended her daughter’s life would be getting day release. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bek Porter’s 10-year-old daughter was killed by a 14-year-old girl. In the grief of the immediate aftermath, Bek didn’t realise that the loss of her daughter was only the first step in a journey so fraught with pain, it would change everything. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When two teens armed with a Molotov cocktail break his front window and throw it at Anjelo, he goes from watching soccer on TV to being on fire. Follow Anjelo’s long road to recovery, which takes him to the highest mountain on earth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anjelo graduated from university and left Melbourne to work in London as a physiotherapist. He moved into a share-house and didn’t take much notice of the teenage gang flare-ups in the area. Until the night they arrived on his doorstep. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As an adult, Madeleine wants to encourage others to speak of their experiences. She moves into a world of advocacy and begins her podcast, Reclaim Me, where survivors speak their truth and give others hope for a stronger future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When 13-year-old Madeleine Heather is raped at a school friend’s sleepover, not only does she have to deal with the immediate aftermath of the attack, she has to navigate a world that had shown itself not to be safe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even the best job in the police force can leave members exposed to some of the more shocking of life’s elements. Towards the end of his career, Bob feels these creeping up on him. However, his humour and great dog stories are a salve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bob joins Victoria Police as an enthusiastic and eager young man. He ends up in the Dog Squad and has a number of police dogs, Blitz being a favourite. Bob describes the Dog Squad as having a front row ticket to the greatest show on earth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first treatments seem to be successful, but Trish ends up on a longer journey to wellness. Along the way, facing an uncertain future, she learns to look at life with a different perspective and to try and live her best life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Trish marries a widower who’d lost his first wife to cancer, the first thing she thinks when she is diagnosed is: How can I do this to him again? From corporate corridors to hospitals, Trish has to navigate a whole new reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As well as Denyer, Rory has guarded the likes of Raymond Edmunds, Stan Taylor, and Derek Percy. He offers his perspective on these dangerous offenders, while Vikki and Emily explore what they did to end up in prison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rory met Vikki when he was interviewed for her podcast on Paul Denyer, the Frankston serial killer who he’d looked after in prison. As a prison guard, Rory has a unique glimpse into the world of some of our worst criminals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everything Helen knew about herself was founded on a lie. She is left to piece her life together to figure out what was real and what wasn’t. At the end of her story, Helen has to rediscover who she is now she understands who her mother was. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As an adult, Helen Naylor discovered her mother, Elinor, had been faking debilitating illnesses for thirty years. After her mother’s death, Helen found her diaries. Elinor had religiously documented her callous disregard for everyone around her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A life and death battle comes at a price and Officer A soon discovers what that is. Without realising it, his act of courage would have repercussions he would have to face. One minute, he’s a hero and then in the blink of an eye, things turn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Officer A has been in the Joint Counter Terrorism Team for years when he takes his new partner to meet Numan Haider. When Haider engages the two police officers in a life and death battle, Officer A has to act quickly to save his partner’s life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max’s behaviour and harassment quickly gets out of hand and Di is told by police that the only way they can help is if she gets an AVO. But he doesn’t stop. Three years later, Di gets a special detective on the case who puts Max in the cross-hairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Di McDonald dates a man called Max, his helpful behaviour quickly turns into something more petulant and controlling. After three months, Di tells Max she no longer wishes to see him. She expects that will be the end of it. But it’s not. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Faced with horrendous injuries, Officer B has to fight to regain his health and figure out who he is in the aftermath of the attack. A complete breakdown means he has to start over and build himself back to health, physically and mentally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Officer B had been at the Joint Counter Terrorism Team for just over three weeks when he met his first terror suspect, 18-year-old Numan Haider. When the armed teenager turned on them, the encounter would change all their lives forever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the long road to recovery, Carl realises that the bomb has taught him to grab life by the horns because it could all end in an instant. He has to come to terms with the random nature of the bomb and the fact that not everyone survived it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carl Donadio was a 19-year-old cop in 1986, fresh out of the Police Academy, when he crossed Russell Street on the day the bomb went off on Holy Thursday. He was in the path of the shrapnel blast of the bomb and suffered severe injuries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the horror of Lindt in his wake, Ben is left to pick up the pieces of the events that day. It would take a really good therapist to help him understand how Lindt affected him and to help him on the long road to recovery.To purchase a copy of Ben's book, please visit https://tigertigertigerbook.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben (Officer A) from the Tactical Operations Unit did a lot of dangerous jobs before Lindt. When his team was called to Martin Place on 15 December 2014, he had no idea that they would be confronting an agitated terrorist who said he had a bomb.To purchase a copy of Ben's book, please visit https://tigertigertigerbook.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Lindt Café siege drags on, the world watches. With each reporting, it feels more dangerous for the hostages. The police finally infiltrate at 2 am. Louisa and her mother are caught in the crossfire. The road to recovery is a learning journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Louisa Hope and her mother, Robyn, stay overnight in Sydney, they go for breakfast at the Lindt Café. A man in the café sets Robyn on edge. It isn’t until they go to leave that they understood why. Suddenly, they are all hostages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

True crime authors and podcasters, Vikki Petraitis and Emily Webb, join up to create The Unthinkable, a podcast exploring stories of people who have experienced unthinkable events but who have come out the other side, stronger and wiser. They share their stories and their wisdom in double episodes that give each guest the time and space to explore what they experienced and what they learnt from it.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.