East End rape

Press, 6 July 1988, Page 17

East End rape

By

TONY VERDON

London correspondent Television’s gritty soap opera “East Enders is about to tackle another major social problem — rape. The twice-weekly 8.8. C. series is setting out to expose the torment of Britain’s rape victims, with one of its key characters being raped by the boss she has until now trusted.

In episodes to be shown soon, Kathy Beale, played by Gillian Taylforth, will be attacked by the yuppie landlord of the Dagmar pub, James WillmottBrown (William Boyde).

“East Enders has never shied away from portraying contentious issues such as abortion, drugs, ’ violence, and marriage break-up, and television critics in Britain predict its handling of the rape issue will be just as controversial.

The episode will reflect the ordeal which is typical of thousands of reallife cases * in Britain,

where women are raped by men they know. Television critics say the 8.8. C. has agonised for months over screening the rape drama, but has decided to go ahead. The rape scene will trigger one of the biggest upheavals the series has featured since it began three years ago, leading eventually to Queen Vic landlord Dirty Den (Leslie

Grantham) ending up in jail. But through the rape episode, the programme will examine how people react to such situations. It has been welcomed by women who work in Rape Crisis Centres in Britain, who say the majority of attacks go unreported to police. The episode will also portray the reality of 80 per cent of the rapes in Britain, which are committed by someone the victim knows.

The programme has been building up to the rape for weeks, with the Willmott-Brown character pouring on the charm to his barmaid, Kathy.

“East Enders writers have already referred in past episodes to the fact that Kathy was raped as a teenager. She was violated by a stranger, by whom she had a baby girl, Donna. But “East Enders producers have now decided to let viewers share the pain of her second attack.