A World Service programme examines the specialized profession of crime scene and trauma cleaning, focusing on two women who work in this field. The broadcast features interviews with professionals who handle biohazard and forensic cleanup following deaths and violent incidents—work that families and standard cleaning services are typically unable or unprepared to undertake.
Alana Gillen operates the only female-led and owned crime scene cleaning company in Northern Ireland. Her background includes managing residential properties for wealthy clients before she transitioned into biohazard, crime-scene, and trauma cleaning services.
Charleen Archibald has worked in this field for the past ten years in South Africa, operating alongside her wife Sheridan. She received her training from two women known throughout South Africa as ‘the blood sisters’ (Bloed Susters in Afrikaans). Archibald describes the emotional weight of the work, noting that cleaners are often invited into homes during what families experience as the worst days of their lives.
These professionals represent a small but essential specialized group, predominantly composed of women, who serve as a final point of contact for families after emergency services and forensic teams have concluded their work. The 26-minute programme is presented by Ella Al-Shamahi and produced by Hannah Dean. Listeners are cautioned that the content includes descriptions of violent crime aftermath that some may find distressing.
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