EastEnders' Mick Carter will try to come to terms with non-recent sexual abuse he experienced as a child, as part of a new plot.
Danny Dyer as Mick
The BBC One soap have teamed up with NSPCC, the UK's leading children’s charity, and SurvivorsUK - a specialist service for male and non-binary sexual violence survivors - for the hard-hitting storyline, which will look at Mick's (Danny Dyer) ongoing struggle with abandonment and understanding that what he experienced while he was in care was abuse, when his care worker Katy Lewis preyed on him when he was just 12 years old.
Last night's (12.10.20) episode saw Mick's auntie Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White) - who he grew up thinking was his sister - reminiscing happily to Albert Square newcomer Frankie (Rose Ayling-Ellis), who Mick recently discovered is his daughter, about her mother Katy when Tina and Mick were in care.
While Frankie was left shocked, realising Mick was just 12 years old at the time, he told her it is not what she thinks.
Jon Sen, Executive Producer of 'EastEnders' said: "Viewers have always been aware that Mick spent many years in care, which has been the cause of his fractured relationship with Shirley but now the audience will discover just why Mick’s childhood has been so traumatic.
"This storyline will see Mick having to confront the demons of his past, something he has desperately tried to avoid for many years and face up to the realisation that he experienced abuse whilst he was in care.
"Our work with SurvivorsUK and NSPCC has been vital in informing and grounding Mick’s story very much in reality.
"We hope this storyline will help to challenge the perceptions, the stigma and the shame - particularly experienced by male survivors."
Mick has repressed what happened to him years ago at the hands of Katy, but the realisation that he was abused will see his panic attacks and mental health worsen.
Kamaljit Thandi, Head of NSPCC Helpine, added: "We know that abuse can have a devastating and often lasting impact. This storyline reinforces how difficult it can be for those who are victims of non-recent abuse to process and come to terms with what has happened to them. It can also be hard for men to speak openly about these experiences, particularly when the perpetrator is female.
"That’s one of the reasons we are really pleased that 'EastEnders' is raising awareness of such an important issue and we hope that this storyline will help to give those who find themselves in a similar position to Mick, and any other victims of abuse, the courage to speak up."
Alex Feis-Bryce, CEO of SurvivorsUK, said: "We’re proud to have worked with 'EastEnders' on this storyline which will really resonate with many men who have experienced sexual violence. They have approached the subject with sensitivity and taken into account the voices and experiences of survivors throughout."
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