Jody Riley: A Stranger Took My Two Year Old Daughter

A two year old girl leaves nursery with a man who wasn’t authorised to collect her. By the time her mother is told, her daughter has already been returned.

What happened in between remains unknown.

In this episode of On a Mission, Jody Riley tells the full story of the day her daughter Rosie was taken from nursery by a man Jody did not know, the account she says she was initially given about what happened, and the serious questions that were raised when she finally obtained the CCTV footage for herself.

What followed has been an extraordinary fight for answers. Jody describes conflicting accounts, safeguarding failures, an inadequate response from the organisations she turned to for help and what she believes has been a cover up, including attempts to shut her down as she continued to ask questions.

For the first time, Jody takes us through the entire sequence of events without restrictions as we also discuss the extraordinary personal cost of trying to find those answers. Jody speaks candidly about the deterioration of her mental health, the impact on her businesses and family, and the abuse she has received online as she fights to uncover the truth about her own child.

Jody wants answers, accountability and change, and she has no intention of being silenced.

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Chapters:

00:00 Jody Riley joins Ellie McKay on On a Mission03:05 The phone call from the nursery05:21 Jody learns Rosie had left with an unauthorised person09:06 The first account Jody says she was given11:01 How could the wrong child leave the nursery?15:36 Jody contacts the police18:05 The incident is described as a mistake20:06 Jody questions the extent of the investigation21:49 Being told to “accept and respect” the situation24:29 Finally obtaining the CCTV footage25:19 The footage that raised serious questions about the version of events34:58 Why did it take so long to contact Jody?37:03 The nursery response and conflicting accounts40:00 What Jody believes should have happened immediately46:16 How the experience has changed her as a mother47:32 Other parents begin contacting Jody49:48 The impact on her mental health52:40 Taking the story to social media55:29 Good Morning Britain gets in touch57:02 What Jody says happened when the cameras started rolling59:54 The aftermath of the GMB interview1:03:31 Trolling, accusations and the cost of speaking publicly1:09:21 Pressure to stop speaking about the case1:10:38 Ofsted and Jody’s continuing concerns1:11:05 Solicitors become involved1:12:43 The questions Jody still cannot answer1:18:09 Why she never wanted to become a public figure1:20:15 The impact on Jody’s family and businesses1:23:42 Turning her experience into a wider mission1:24:35 Jody considers opening her own nursery1:25:04 The plans for National Child Safeguard1:28:46 Jody’s mission now

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