Eastenders fans were angry to find that Dean Wicks had been found innocent in the rape trial which shook Albert Square.
Dean had been charged for the crime late last year, after he attacked his on-off girlfriend Roxy Mitchell. He had also raped Linda in the Queen Vic at the end of 2014.
During Friday night’s episode (19th August) viewers watched in horror as Dean Wicks walked away a free man.
Some were NOT happy at all.
Whilst others appluaded Eastender's bravery and bringing such a impoortant issue infront of millions of viewers
And some were just speechless.
Though Dean's sentence (or lack of it) may come as a shock to viewers, the sad fact is that rape conviction rates are much more lower than other crimes. It is a notoriously difficult crime to prove and Eastender’s showed this in a very harrowing way.
Statistics published on the Rape Crisis charity show that only 5.7% of reported rape cases end in a conviction for the perpetrator - making the EastEnders storyline outcome, although controversial, a tragic reality.
The Eastenders episode boldly focused on the victims pain, rather than the standard court room scenes which one would expect from a storyline and Eastender’s confirmed it definitely was intentional.
‘EastEnders has now made another bold decision; rather than airing the usual version of a courtroom drama, they instead show the stress and the anxiety survivors and their loved ones experience in the criminal justice system waiting for the outcome, and learning the verdict.'
They added: ‘We may be angry and frustrated by the fact that Dean does not get the comeuppance he deserves and be shocked that he has got away with his crimes again. We know that he is a rapist and that he is a serial offender, and we can predict that he will continue to perpetrate his crimes against women, wherever he ends up. But it is an important reality to face, that far too often rapists are not convicted; and justice is not realised. This is why additional support, and other ways to have their voices heard, are so crucial for survivors.'
‘EastEnders shows the strength that women can find in togetherness, in solidarity. But we as a society need to do more. We need to stand alongside survivors. We need to believe.’
What Eastender's did remarkably well was to highlight the injustice and blame often placed upon rape victims, as Roxy, Linda, Ronnie and Shirely all assured eachother that they were not to blame. The only person to blame was the rapist, which needs to be shouted from rooftops and splashed across mainstream press.
Huge credit to Eastenders for bringing this important issue to the attention and hearts of millions of people.
EastEnders continues on Monday night on BBC One at 8pm.