Emmerdale actress Emma Atkins has stated that the storyline involving Dr Caitlin Todd's sexual assault of Charity Dingle is on a par with the harrowing plot of DI Mark Bails.
Historic Abuse by DI Mark Bails
DI Mark Bails was a corrupt police detective in Emmerdale who sexually abused and raped Charity Dingle when she was just 14-years-old. He had picked Charity up after she was caught earning money through sex work, but the abuse lasted for months before she managed to escape after falling pregnant with Ryan. In 2018, she reported Bails for rape and abuse which led to him standing trial after evidence of his DNA from Ryan was enough to incriminate him. He was then sentenced to 30 years in prison.
With Charity thinking that everything was over, she received a call telling her that Bails had died in prison from a heart attack. Standing by his graveside with Cain, she said: "He never regretted what he did to me, and now he gets to lay there. Death was too good for you."
Dr Todd Assault and Aftermath
Now, Charity has been subjected to more trauma after Dr Caitlin Todd sexually assaulted her. Todd later left the village, heading to Sheffield for a fresh start, leaving the aftermath of what she'd done behind her. Since then, Charity confessed everything to her husband, Mackenzie Boyd, who vowed to support her through this. In recent episodes, Charity has been seeking the support from a group of women going through the same trauma.
Emma Atkins on the Challenge
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News and other press, Emma shared: "It's probably the most challenging one, although I have to say the historical abuse with Bails, it's kind of on a par in the sense. But assault or violence is something that has always got to be dealt with in a sensitive way, and will put any actor through that challenge of having to go to a place. I will always cherish the storyline as difficult as it's been, it's a story like it's needed to be told.
"At first, I was like, how am I gonna do this? It's constantly moving when you get the scripts, and then every block it changes and becomes something else... It's been a very truthful journey. But yeah, it's been my most challenging, I think, alongside the Bails storyline, 'cause I often do love it when I just get the scripts where I'm making people laugh, and I have missed that. So I'm looking forward to a bit more lightheartedness in the future, but, you know, we'll see."
Praising her co-star Caroline Harker, she said: "I adore her. She's so gorgeous in every way. She's such a team player, and that's what she brought every day, just a delight to work with. We were serious when we needed to be serious, and then we needed to sort of switch off from it, because of the nature of it, we would have a giggle together as friends. I hope to keep in touch with her. Well, we text each other from time to time. But what an incredible actress, and, wow, nobody could have played it as well."
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX and YouTube from 7am.
