Episode

Helen Duncan: Convicted of Witchcraft in the 20th Century?!

Podcast: Mysteries and Histories
Published: May 11, 2026
Duration seconds: 1654
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Canonical source: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/georgiamariexo/episodes/Helen-Duncan-Convicted-of-Witchcraft-in-the-20th-Century-e3j6ov8
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Summary

During the Second World War, Scottish medium Helen Duncan claimed to pull the dead out of the dark, until the British state decided her séances were dangerous. After she appeared to reveal a naval disaster that was still officially secret, she was dragged into court under the centuries‑old Witchcraft Act, branded a fraud, and locked up as Britain’s so‑called “last witch”, turning one woman’s ghost shows into a clash between belief, fear, and wartime paranoia.