‘Coronation Street’ viewers have been praising last night’s (16 March) episode, which saw David Platt becoming the victim of a rape at the hands of a man he thought was his friend.
Viewers didn’t actually see the assault taking place, though it was heavily suggested, with Josh dropping GHB into David’s drink and attempting to put his hands on him.
Barely conscious, David was then thrown onto Josh’s bed, at which point Josh slammed the bedroom door shut behind him.
The reaction to the scenes – which is only the third time male rape has been portrayed in a British soap, and the first ever for ‘Corrie’ – has had a strong reaction from viewers, with many lauding the soap for shining a light on such an important and serious topic that isn’t often tackled on television:
Other ‘Coronation Street’ fans were shocked at the amount of jokes that had been made on their Twitter timelines, speaking out to explain that this is exactly why it’s important to raise awareness of difficult subjects like male rape:
Prior to the beginning of the storyline, soap actor Jack P Shepherd – who has played David Platt since he was a child – spoke out about what happens next, revealing why writers chose to have his character initially remain silent.
He said: “David’s reaction and decision to remain quiet because he feels ashamed about what has happened is not uncommon.”
To ensure the storyline was handled sensitively and accurately, ‘Corrie’ boss Kate Oates worked closely with Survivors Manchester, an organistion set up to help men and boys affected by sexual assault.
Ahead of last night’s scenes, HuffPost UK caught up with their founder and chief executive Duncan Craig about why this is an important turning point in British soaps.
- Rape Crisis services for women and girls who have been raped or have experienced sexual violence – 0808 802 9999
- Survivors UK offers support for men and boys – 0203 598 3898