Emmerdale is set to air a storyline about rape as the character Lydia Dingle is attacked by a recently re-acquainted childhood friend.
Audiences will watch Dingle, played by Karen Blick, grapple with the aftermath of her ordeal as she weighs up whether to report the assault to police.
The long-running, Yorkshire-based soap has tackled hard-hitting storylines in the past and aired episodes earlier in the year, with the help from emotional support charity Samaritans, exploring the deterioration of Paddy Kirk's (Dominic Brunt) mental health as he dealt with suicidal thoughts.
To ensure Dingle's story is portrayed accurately and sensitively, the storyline has been produced with the support of the charity Rape Crisis England and Wales.
Speaking about the storyline, Blick said: "Lydia's rape is one of the most important and sensitive stories I have been part of during my time in Emmerdale.
"The research, preparation, and aftermath of this story has [sic] been challenging and eye-opening for me.
"One in four women have been raped or sexually assaulted as an adult, and after reading this statistic I found myself standing in the canteen at ITV looking around, as that figure really shocked me."
The episodes detailing Lydia's assault, airing in early September, will follow the character as she bonds with Craig, with whom she had a stillborn baby when they were in a relationship some time ago.
The pair will bond and talk about their baby before his behaviour turns sinister and he forces himself on her.
In the coming weeks, Dingle will struggle to come to terms with what has happened, and her family and friends will grow worried about her, not realising what she has experienced.
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Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said the soap has never shied away from telling difficult but important stories.
"With five out of six women who are raped not reporting it to the police, we really wanted to raise awareness of this issue and hopefully encourage any women who have been in a similar position to Lydia to speak out," she said.
"We've been working really closely with Rape Crisis, who have held our hand every step of the way and given us invaluable support to be able to tell the story as authentically and responsibly as possible.
"We're also mindful of when Emmerdale airs on ITV, so the drama will be implicit rather than explicit."
Emmerdale airs weeknights on Virgin Media One and ITV.
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Source: Press Association
