Emmerdale flashback reveals domestic abuse trauma for Belle Dingle

The tense instalment of the ITV soap began with Belle's sister-in-law, Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick), gathering her extended family at the Woolpack. There, she announced that the man who raped her, Craig Reed (Ben Addis), had been found murdered, bloodied and beaten on the fields of Home Farm.

The clan appeared shocked, and Lydia began investigating which of her relatives was the killer - starting with her husband Sam (James Hooton), who Lydia revealed had kidnapped Craig with his accomplice, brother Cain (Jeff Hordley).

The first flashback showed Cain and Sam presenting Lydia with the tied up Craig, offering her the chance to get payback for what the other man did to her.

Lydia confessed that she didn't instruct Sam and Cain to let Craig go straight away, instead taking the power back by reminding Craig of exactly what he did to her and declaring that she wasn't going to be destroyed by his attack on her.

After saying her piece, Lydia ordered Sam and Cain not to harm Craig, and, in the present, the pair claimed they had done as she asked - but not before Cain dished out an extra warning to Craig in his usual violent style.

Cain then turned the spotlight onto Belle, whose alibi was called into question. Belle looked uncomfortable, and we soon found out why. Another flashback revealed Tom's romantic meal for Belle, and he later asked her to marry him.

Belle told her family that she turned Tom down, and again we returned to the scene of the proposal, where Belle told her other half that she wasn't ready to be his wife yet. Tom took the news beyond badly, and his mood quickly darkened.

As his temper escalated, Belle reached out to try and talk properly about the situation, and Tom reacted by pushing her to the ground. Belle hit her head on the coffee table, and ended up with a bleeding wound.

Tom panicked, apologising to Belle, who was shaken but made an effort to tell Tom she forgave him as he broke down. But in the present, Belle portrayed Tom as the perfect partner who had been nothing but understanding of her rejection.

Unaware of the shocking truth behind Belle's words, Lydia moved the spotlight onto Aaron (Danny Miller), and the scene was set for Emmerdale to continue on Tuesday 31st October. But has a harrowing new storyline just begun for Belle?

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can visit Refuge for more information and contact 0808 2000 247 for support. Help can also be found at The Hideout. Anyone affected by Lydia's story can find support by visiting Rape Crisis, or calling our 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222.

Read more:

• Emmerdale spoilers: Who killed Craig as Lydia leads Dingle Court session?
• Emmerdale needs to do one thing with Aaron Dingle as he returns

Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.

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