Oliwia Wudarowicz, who was raped by her acting tutor Alexander Westwood—known for his role in the Netflix series Sex Education—when she was 16, has spoken out about the lasting trauma. Five years on, she says she still “scrubs” her body “hard” in the shower, feeling “dirty,” and that Westwood “ruined” her dream of becoming an actress. She has waived her statutory right to anonymity.
The abuse began during acting lessons
Wudarowicz started taking acting lessons from Westwood, from Albrighton in Shropshire, in December 2020 after her mother met him while renovating his flat. Initially, she described him as “calm” and she felt “safe.” However, by their third lesson, Westwood allegedly told her to change in front of him, claiming it was “normal” backstage practice, and asked if she was a virgin.
In January 2021, when Westwood was 20, he ordered Wudarowicz to masturbate in front of him, telling her that because he was her teacher, she “had to do what he said.” That same month, he raped her. She tried to “get out” of attending lessons, but Westwood allegedly said she was bound by a contract requiring 365 lessons or a penalty of up to £36,000, leaving her feeling unable to speak out.
Four rapes and a delayed investigation
Wudarowicz said Westwood raped her four times in total. She told her mother and reported the crimes to police in August 2021. The case was initially closed due to a lack of evidence but was reopened in April 2023 after other victims came forward.
Westwood, now 26, was later convicted of sexual offences against Wudarowicz and four other victims. His victims included a girl whose abuse began when she was six and Westwood was 10, a boy aged between nine and 10 whom he abused when he was 18, a woman, and another teenage acting student. He was sentenced to 15-and-a-half years in prison.
Ongoing trauma and a message of hope
Wudarowicz, now a 21-year-old drama graduate living in the West Midlands, continues to experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. She told PA Real Life: “I still scrub myself hard in the shower and have nightmares. If I have kids, my kids will be walking the same streets as him. He should be in prison rotting for much longer than his sentence.”
Despite her ordeal, she is now hoping to inspire others through social media, sharing messages of body positivity. She wants to encourage other victims to speak out and seek justice.
