Episode 3 - Body Snatching and the Anatomy Riot

In 19th-century Aberdeen, the dead were no longer safe. As medical schools struggled to meet the demand for dissection cadavers, grave robbers began to raid local kirkyards, fuelled by profit and a growing market for bodies.

But when the public discovered what was happening, outrage turned to violence, leading to the Anatomy Riot.

Featuring expert insight from Robert Gordon University’s School of Law and Social Sciences, we uncover the chilling world of body snatching, the ethical and legal dilemmas it exposed, and how it shaped the future of medical law in Scotland.

Curious to learn more? Turn curiosity into a career and explore RGU’s range of law and criminology courses at rgu.ac.uk/lawandsocialsciences.