About this episode

Kirsty and Sarah explore Nellie's tragic story through her sister Mavis, uncovering themes of trauma and the quest for justice.

Kirsty and Sarah go to see Mavis, Nellie's sister, who tells them that she thinks Nellie was raped, which led to her breakdown and incarceration. Mavis tells Sarah about the day she was born, and how the family wanted to keep her but couldn't. To see more images and details about the series, vist the website here . "I want justice for Nellie, because if something happened and they covered it up, I want to know." - Mavis While Sarah was delighted to meet Gordon, questions about Nellie's life and death remain. Kirsty and Sarah go to see Mavis, Nellie's sister, who tells them that she thinks Nellie was raped, which led to her breakdown and incarceration. Mavis tells Sarah about the day she was born, and how the family wanted to keep her but couldn't. She is amazed to hear that Sarah's middle name, Annemarie, is the name Nellie gave her. She describes Nellie's care after Porirua closed, and how the care homes treated her terribly. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

People in this episode

Hosts: Kirsty, Sarah

Topics covered

• rape
• mental health
• family
• justice
• care homes

Keywords

• Nellie
• Mavis
• rape
• incarceration
• mental health
• justice
• care homes

More episodes of Nellie's Baby

• What to Listen to Next: The Sound Of My Father · April 29, 2026 · 45 min
• What to Listen to Next: The Lodge · August 14, 2025 · 39 min
• Black Sheep: The story of New Zealand's Mental Institutions · March 31, 2024 · 41 min
• I'd like to find a sister · March 21, 2024 · 37 min
• What happened to Nellie? · March 20, 2024 · 48 min
• My daughter, Sarah · March 18, 2024 · 39 min

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