The BBC World Service is set to release a powerful new BBC Africa Eye documentary and season of the World of Secrets podcast, investigating the story of The Apartheid Killer.

The Apartheid Killer explores a series of brutal shootings in 1980s South Africa, where private security guard Louis van Schoor killed at least 39 people. All of his victims were black, and the youngest victim was just 12 years old.

Van Schoor was caught and arrested in 1991. But with many of his killings signed off by police as ‘justifiable homicides,’ he served only twelve years in jail.

Recorded over four years, The Apartheid Killer is centred on the stories of lives which have been shaped by these atrocities, the relatives of victims, anti-apartheid activists, a journalist who pursued the truth for 20 years, and the killer himself. With unfettered access to Louis van Schoor, South African journalist Isa Jacobson interrogates him about his actions, as she searches for the painful truth and motivation behind the killings.

Until now, the loved ones of the victims have never been interviewed. In this BBC documentary and podcast series, they are finally being given an opportunity to speak about what happened, and the lasting impact on their lives.

Thirty years since the fall of the apartheid regime, this documentary and podcast series explore the legacy and unresolved trauma of racial injustice, as well as the pursuit for accountability. It also delves into the themes of death and spirituality, following the families of victims as they grapple with the painful injustice they were left with.

Season 3 of the BBC’s World of Secrets podcast is presented by Ayanda Charlie and Charlie Northcott, and, through gripping storytelling, will take a deeper dive into the wider socio-political context at play at the time of these murders and features extensive interviews with those affected by the tragedy.

Isa Jacobson, documentary co-director: “The documentary speaks to the pain and suffering so many South Africans have experienced. The pain doesn’t go away: it just moves to the next generation. If we don’t tell these stories, as painful as they are to hear, we won’t be able to heal as a country. And I think we need to go further in order to move on: we must investigate the crimes of the past thoroughly.”

Ayanda Charlie, co-presenter, Season 3 of the World of Secrets podcast: “We are extremely proud to launch this important new season of World of Secrets. Podcasts offer a powerful platform to explore complex stories in-depth, which is key when exploring such a critical chapter in history such as this. The making of this podcast has been an incredible journey. This story gives light to the human lives and families that will forever be changed by the brutality that was Apartheid. It’s a story all of us should know.”

• Documentary: The BBC Africa Eye documentary will be available to audiences in the UK from Monday 22 July on BBC Two at 23:05, and on BBC iPlayer. Audiences outside the UK can view on the BBC News Africa YouTube channel, and via media TV channels that broadcast BBC Africa Eye from Monday 22 July.
• Podcast: World of Secrets, Season 3: The Apartheid Killer: The first two episodes will be available on BBC Sounds on the 22 July – with the first episode available on most other podcast platforms from that date. New episode will be released weekly on Mondays.
• Outside the UK: The podcast begins on the 22 July wherever you get your BBC podcasts, with new episodes released weekly. BBC Podcasts Premium subscribers can listen to the first two episodes on July 22nd and will get one-week early access to each new episode.
• Radio: The series will air weekly on BBC World Service radio from Wednesday 24 August.