Shamed Charity gets a massive wake-up call over Dr Todd in Emmerdale
Emotions are running high for Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) next week in Emmerdale as she discovers some news from a loved one, and makes more progress in the aftermath of her sexual assault.
The character recently disappeared from the village, which caused huge concern for Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) and Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick).
Unbeknownst to them both, Charity had gone to a support group meeting to try and move forward after being attacked by Dr Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker).
When Charity returned home, she told Vanessa that she found it difficult to open up to the women, due to the fact she was the only person who had been sexually assaulted by a female.
Discussing how her character felt during the meeting, star Emma Atkins recently told us: ‘In that first initial meeting, she really struggled to know what to say, because her situation felt so different from a male/female situation.
‘After she realised that what happened to her isn’t recognised as rape, it’s assault with penetration, I think Charity just felt so lost in it all and lonely.’
Next week, Charity learns about Noah Dingle’s (Jack Downham) plans to move to Dusseldorf. She is absolutely heartbroken, so Noah decides to stay for her.
Charity then makes the brave decision to return to the support group. This time, she talks about what makes her experience different from everyone else’s in the group and explains further about her feelings of self-blame.
The facilitator tries to make Charity see that she’s carrying feelings of guilt and shame, and they should belong to the perpetrator.
Noting that these scenes are ‘brilliantly written’, Emma said: ‘The facilitator, played by Gloria [Adereti], was just brilliant. She brought something very unique to it. Very gentle, and a truthful approach. I think it helped Charity to open up when initially she wasn’t prepared to do that.
‘I think that’s why she goes back a second time. She kept so much to herself, but in this second meeting, that’s when she finally decides she feels braver, through a lot of different things that happen.
‘I think it was a natural progression for my character’s journey to go on, to finally go and speak and say it out loud, because she kept it bottled up for so long. I think a lot of people have been able to relate to it, regardless of the gender. It was a very fragile and sensitive topic, I felt I had to commit to this and do it justice.’
Reflecting on the scenes we saw earlier in the year where Charity reported Dr Todd to the police, Emma called them ‘extremely important’.
‘She goes to the police and they are understanding, but what happened to her isn’t classed as rape, so she feels extremely unlistened to and as though it lessens the gravity of it. There are so many people who have experienced this, and they don’t feel like they get the justice they’re seeking. It’s a very sensitive topic, but it needs to be talked about.
‘And obviously it’s so underreported as well, because people feel that if it’s not going to be classed as rape, there’s no point. It was an incredibly powerful storyline and I was just honoured and privileged to be given it to play.
‘When I read the factual stuff that I was given about how under-reported it was, I thought, this storyline has to be taken on and committed. I just had to commit in a way that people out there can watch and go okay, it’s not just me then.’
Actress Emma has confirmed that there will come a time in the near future that sees Charity comes face to face with Dr Todd again.
‘I think the audience is owed that because they’ve followed this journey’, she said.
‘Caroline has been playing Todd so brilliantly. I think the audience needs to see that showdown. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s absolutely brilliant.
‘It was written so well, and Caroline played it fantastically. It was a very special day of filming for us both. I think the audience will be blown away by the outcome, and shocked.
‘There’s some kind of retribution and justice in its own way, and you’ll see that moving forward. I think the audience will be pleased.’
Emma added: ‘There’s a moment which I can’t really talk about too much, but she comes face to face with Todd, and there’s this pivotal moment where Charity almost puts it to rest to Todd’s face.
‘She just finds peace, even though she knows maybe legally she won’t get it. Have you ever had that thing where you almost forgive? She finds some form of forgiveness towards Todd that she’s reached within her own mind, her own capacity of forgiveness.
‘That’s a hard thing to do when you’ve been violated in that way. She’s showing strengths that, when I read the script, I was like oh my goodness, that’s fantastic.’
