'Emmerdale's rape storyline echoes UK justice system which is failing victims'

21 October 2023 , 21:05

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Lydia Dingle struggles to cope after harrowing attack

Emmerdale fans have been moved to tears by the harrowing story-line of Lydia Dingle’s rape, played brilliantly by my very talented ­colleague Karen Blick.

After every episode, Emmerdale directs people who may have been affected by the story to a support and advice page where they can access helplines. And, from what I can tell, plenty of people really do need them. Women have come up to me in the street to say thank you for highlighting the issue. It has really opened my eyes to the way the judicial system lets down women in this country – and it has even been highlighted by Cherie Blair this week, who warned that our creaking justice system is failing rape victims.

In Emmerdale, my heartbroken character Mandy had to warn a traumatised Lydia that she may never get justice – and that isn’t just soap drama, it is a fact. Women who have been raped know that not only do they face a battle to recover, but also a battle to be believed, a battle to see their attacker in court, and a battle to finally get justice.

Lisa Riley, our guest columnist, also stars in Emmerdale (Sunday Mirror)

For some, that is just too many battles to endure and they sadly withdraw their case. Many women are frightened to report rape if they’ve had so much as a couple of gins and, even if they do, they know that the chance of their case ending with a conviction is slim.

In the year to September 2021, just 1.3% of rape cases recorded by police resulted in a suspect being charged. And a huge backlog in the court system means victims have to wait months or even years before their case gets to court. That means a woman could bump into her rapist in the supermarket every week for months. It is utterly revolting. No wonder so many women can’t face it.

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With Britain’s prisons full to bursting, judges say they have been told to delay sentencing hearings, meaning rapists could be free to walk the streets. A study even found that a third of people in Britain don’t believe it is rape if someone is pressured into sex but there is no physical violence. Society needs to understand that no means no. It is as simple as that. It saddened me so much to hear leading barrister Ms Blair warn that rape has effectively been decriminalised in the United Kingdom. But it is a blessing that victims of sexual assault and rape have her powerful voice behind them. I agree wholeheartedly with Ms Blair when she says that women deserve a legal system that stands with them, not against them. The system needs a radical overhaul – now.

Beci Wood