Emmerdale fans were left feeling “sick and shaken” following Sunday night’s episode of the ITV soap, with some going as far as to threaten to boycott the show.
Charity Dingle, who has been played by Emma Atkins on the soap since 2000, became the victim of a horrific sexual assault by the evil Dr Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker), but the unsettling scenes prompted a huge wave of criticism on social media.
The storyline emerged after viewers saw Charity becoming mixed up in Dr Todd’s evil actions in recent weeks due to her own dark secret, which the doctor found out about.
Earlier this year, Charity gave birth to baby Leyla, with the character supposed to have been acting as a surrogate for her granddaughter Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) and husband Jacob Gallagher (Joseph-Warren Plant).
However, Charity had actually ended up sleeping with Ross Barton (Michael Parr), and had fallen pregnant with his child.
Sarah and Jacob have no idea that they are, in fact, not the biological parents of their baby.
To make matters worse, Dr Todd has been bullying student nurse Jacob for months, and upon discovering the truth about his child, has been using the information to blackmail Charity.
In the latest episode, the doctor arrived at Charity’s house to find her drunk and struggling.
Emmerdale viewers were left ‘feeling sick’ by Dr Todd’s assault on Charity
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ITV
She began to blackmail her once again, threatening to reveal the truth about baby Layla.
When Charity threatened to expose Dr Todd’s blackmail and destroy her reputation, the doctor explained she had been facing similar struggles.
“I have been going through the same, people ruining things for me and costing me money and my job, and making it out that I was always at fault. Yes, it was unfair! But it helped me to know that someone else was having an equally tough time,” she shared.
Just as the pair seemed to reach an understanding, Dr Todd attempted to kiss Charity, who pulled away and called her a “desperate, pathetic witch.”
Emmerdale aired the ‘grim’ scene on Sunday evening
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ITV
When she then fell asleep on the sofa, Dr Todd said: “Wake up. Drunk, disgusting w****! One too many? Bad, bad girl. You should know better than to lose control.”
She then climbed on top of the unconscious Charity and could be heard unzipping her trousers.
Charity woke up and was horrified to realise what was happening before begging Dr Todd to get off her.
The doctor then got up, collected her things, and left, and the harrowing twist sparked passionate reactions online, with many arguing the storyline had gone too far.
Sunday’s Emmerdale saw Dr Todd assaulting Charity while she slept
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ITV
One X user penned: “This may well be an unpopular opinion, but if #Emmerdale truly cared about telling a story of sexual abuse, it wouldn’t be telling it in this way. Female-on-female sexual abuse is rarely explored on TV and has never really been tackled in soaps.
“For such an important issue to be used as the backdrop to a baby secret that’s about to implode and devastate her whole family’s life is so disappointing.”
A second agreed: “#Emmerdale Yeah I wish the focus stayed on Jacob in this story – the process of him making a complaint against Todd and then being successful.
“Since she retired, the story just seems to solely focus on Charity now, despite Todd still putting Jacob through a difficult time before the blackmail.”
Another shared how some fans were considering switching off from the soap for good, writing: “My mum’s not on X, asked me to see if it was just her disgusted by Charity’s assault. I haven’t watched in years, but she’s watched since start, think she’s had enough now. Have to say reading tweets what the hell, soaps used to be entertaining 30 min escapist tv. #emmerdale.” (sic)
Someone else wrote: “Tonight’s episode has left many women feeling sick and shaken, a TV show shouldn’t be on TV if it has that effect #CancelEmmerdale @Ofcom.”
“I keep trying to word thoughts on what #Emmerdale did with Charity and Todd tonight, but tbh I just keep landing on ‘grim’. A completely unnecessary and horrible turn in the whole story, unworthy of both Emma Atkins and Caroline Harker,” a different social media user posted.
“I’m disgusted #Emmerdale,” one more wrote.
Others were more supportive of the tough storyline, though, with one writing: “This storyline WILL help so many people. It doesn’t matter the gender, SA happens. Let’s open that conversation and get victims justice.”