Coronation Street is to tackle the issue of non-consensual sex with a storyline involving the characters of Amy (Elle Mulvaney) and Aaron (James Craven) next month.
An episode airing on Friday 3rd March will show a drunk Amy and Aaron kissing in the flat they share after he has a row with his girlfriend Summer (Harriet Bibby). As they move into the bedroom, Amy begins to undress before admitting she feels sick and rolling away.
Aaron continues to kiss Amy, who is unaware of what happens next as he makes the decision to have sex for her. It won’t be until the next day that a horrified Amy discovers how far things went the night before.
Amy struggles with her feelings, realising that she was raped because she was not able to consent to sex, but Aaron tries to convince her that they both wanted it to happen.
Actress Elle Mulvaney said of the storyline:
“Initially when I was given the storyline I was quite anxious to take it on as it’s such an important issue and we wanted to get it right. There are so many different viewpoints from the characters but for us it was important that when we portray that night it’s clear that while Amy doesn’t say the words she definitely doesn’t consent.
“It’s huge to be a young actress on the show and to be given a storyline like this because it shows how much faith the team has in us, which in turn gives us the confidence to tackle the story.
“This will stay with Amy for a long time. It’s important to note the way it will affect her mental health and wellbeing going forward which is something else we want to highlight with this story.”
Viewers will see the different reactions and understandings of non-consensual sexual activity as the police and family become involved.
Coronation Street hopes that the storyline will open up conversations between families and friends about the issues surrounding sexual activity amongst young people, including consent, awareness, respect and education.
Coronation Street producer Iain Macleod said:
“Since we started discussing this storyline, I have been struck by the number of people who have put their hands up to say they have had a similar experience to Amy. This story will be hugely relatable and we hope it will prompt important discussions among our audience about issues around consent.
“The narrative will also be an engrossing, long-running examination of how Amy and Aaron deal with what happened that night and will give actors Elle Mulvaney and James Craven the chance to showcase their considerable skills.”
The show’s researchers have worked alongside The Schools Consent Project, a charity established in early 2015 which sends legally trained volunteers into schools to deliver workshops on the legal definition of sexual consent and key sexual offences.
On working with the show, Monica Bhogal, Director of The Schools Consent Project said:
“The Schools Consent Project firmly believes that learning about sexual consent laws allows young people to understand their rights and responsibilities and empowers young people by providing them with the skills, confidence and knowledge they need to make safe, respectful, healthy choices around sexual consent.
“We are delighted to have been consulted on this storyline which conveys important messages around the topic of sexual consent with care and sensitivity. Its inclusion in such a wide-reaching show emphasises the crucial need for consent conversations and the power of consent education.”
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV and STV
