On Monday 6th October, horrified EastEnders fans will watch as Dean (Matt Di Angelo) brutally attacking and raping his aunt, Linda (Kellie Bright), while the rest of her family are downstairs in the Queen Vic.
She will be left pregnant and emotionally detached from partner Mick (Danny Dyer) following her ordeal, as EastEnders bosses vow to examine the far-reaching consequences of Dean's crime.
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Many have slammed the show's decision to cover this storyline, with some claiming the idea is "too horrible" or "unbelievable" for viewers to witness.
"Dean was sane last week, now he's a freak psycho rapist," spat one outraged fan.
"Why wouldn't Linda just tell the police?" asked another.
But, while some viewers feel 'cheated' by the storyline, it is frighteningly much more realistic than many may think.
Rape conjures up the image of a woman alone, fighting off a strange man in a dark alleyway, screaming and shouting, and being left bruised and battered.
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In fact, only around 10% of rapes are committed by 'strangers', with 90% of committed by someone who the survivor has previously known, trusted, and even loved. People are raped in their homes, their workplaces and other settings where they have previously felt safe.
Kellie Bright, speaking about the storyline, revealed that she and scriptwriters have been working with Rape Crisis UK, to ensure that the storyline is portrayed sensitively and realistically.
She said: "One of the things that I felt very strongly about after speaking to Fiona, who I was working with at Rape Crisis, was that people have a perception of what happens to you in a rape. If it is not violent and the woman is not beaten and covered in bruises, then why not?
"Women in those circumstances are expected to fight back and I think these are all the questions that Linda has going round her head in the aftermath."
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"Actually, I think what happens is a very physiological response and your body shuts down. What it does is try and protect you - a bit like a spider drawing itself into a tiny little ball to protect itself - your body does what it needs to do so you don't get hurt in that moment.
"For a lot of women they feel betrayed by their bodies and they don't understand why they don't fight back or shout out, or why their body literally goes limp and lets it happen."
Linda will not tell her family or the police about Dean's crime, something which, again, viewers have slammed.
Explaining this decision, Kellie said: "She just doesn't know how to begin, where to begin, or what to say.
"Also, going back a bit to the backstory of Dean and Linda, there have been these moments where Dean has touched her bum and kissed her but she hasn't told anyone about that. She confided in Sharon, and she threw it back in her face by telling her daughter."
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Is this realistic? Absolutely, yes.
90% of rape survivors may have known their attackers, but just 15% of these victims actually went to the police.
Why? Because they found it “too embarrassing” or “too trivial”, considered it a “private/family matter”, or were scared that they "wouldn't be believed".
Yes, the subject matter is horrible, but between 60,000 and 95,000 people are raped in England and Wales every year. That's the reality.
And, if these harrowing scenes give just one victim amongst the 6.25 million EastEnders viewers the courage to speak up, then everything will have been worthwhile.