Coronation Street's Amy faces legal threat after publicly exposing rape ordeal
Aaron refuses to admit what he's done.
This article includes discussions of rape and sexual assault which some readers may find upsetting.
Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney) was faced with the threat of being sued in tonight's Coronation Street (17th May), all because she took a stand to publicly expose rapist Aaron Sandford (James Craven).
In disturbing scenes earlier this year, Aaron assaulted Amy when she was asleep, then claimed that she was lying when she confronted him and reported him to the police. While the authorities didn't have the evidence to pursue a case against him, Amy became determined to hold Aaron accountable for his actions.
This week, Aaron's boss Abi Webster (Sally Carman-Duttine) finally spoke to Amy herself and came to understand just what she had been through, and Amy wrote an online post about her ordeal which named Aaron as her attacker.
Although DS Swain (Vicky Myers) dropped by to tell Amy she had been reported for harassment after Amy warned Aaron's on/off girlfriend Mia about him, Amy went ahead and published her writing for all to see.
Abi and Aaron's other boss Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) read the post and promptly sacked Aaron, who confided in his furious dad Eric (Craig Cheetham). Eric told Aaron that Amy would not get away with posting her 'lies', and headed to her home to shout her down. Amy's dad Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) stood by her and sent Eric away when he announced he would sue her for libel.
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But it wasn't long before Amy received a letter from Eric's solicitor, ordering her to take down the online post or she would be sued. Steve and Amy's mum Tracy (Kate Ford) continued to support Amy, but Steve grew uncertain about the possible court costs when Dee Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown) explained the implications of fighting Aaron and Eric's stance all the way.
Eventually, though, Amy revealed that she was taking down the post as she had made her point and it wasn't worth the extra stress. But the family were stunned when they learned that Amy was set to face legal action anyway, with a meeting detailing that her deleting of the post came after it had already gone viral - and featured on a prominent podcast.
Eric vowed that unless Amy wrote a retraction, she would pay for the 'damage' she had done to Aaron's character; and her refusal to lie left the future uncertain. Will the Barlow-McDonalds be able to help Amy?
If you have been affected by the topics raised in Amy's story, you can find help and support by visiting The Schools Consent Project and Rape Crisis, and by calling Rape Crisis's 23/7 support line on 0808 500 2222.
Read more:
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- Michelle Keegan felt like an outsider in first role on Coronation Street
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