'Girl, Taken’ tells the heartbreaking true story of Zephany Nurse

IT WAS A story that not only made headlines internationally but left us heartbroken too.

Now, almost two decades later, M-Net will premiere the story of baby Zephany Nurse.

“Girl, Taken“ is a riveting documentary that delves into what happened when baby Zephany was abducted when she was just three days old from Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town in 1997, how she was found 17 years later– and how everyone involved has coped since being thrust into the international spotlight.

Co-directed by Francois Verster and Simon Wood, the documentary which is described as “gripping”, “complex” and “full of emotion”, won Best South African Documentary at the Durban International Film Festival, where the jury lauded its “many twists and turns”.

The story of baby Zephany, who was raised as Miche Solomon, is one many are familiar with – but not like this.

In “Girl, Taken”, she speaks about her upbringing; the devastation caused by her abduction coming to light; the dramatic criminal trial of the mother who raised her; and why she chose to stay with the Solomon family, even after learning that she had been abducted and given a new identity.

Zephany’s biological parents, Celeste and Morne Nurse, open up about the pain of losing their baby, the joy of finding her again, and the torment of losing her a second time.

While the world celebrated a rare, feel-good story about a stolen child making her way back to her parents, in reality the people behind the headlines were struggling to find their grip in the middle of a storm.

This documentary follows the process of two broken families climbing the difficult path towards forgiveness and wholeness. It’s their story, told in their own words.

"Girl, Taken“ will premiere on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on Sunday, February 19 at 8pm.