Casualty spoilers follow.
Note: This article contains discussion of topics including rape.
Casualty is halfway through its current boxset, ‘Learning Curve’, and undoubtedly one of the most compelling stories of this series involves clinical nurse manager Siobhan McKenzie’s rape. Viewers have applauded the way that the medical drama has covered this life-changing attack on one of the show’s most popular characters.
As Casualty takes a short break next week, we’re pausing to look at just why this harrowing story has been told so well:
1. It was unexpected
BBC
In this boxset, Siobhan’s focus has been firmly on saving the hospital, with the emergency department finding itself in big trouble following newbie Matty’s rash call to the Care Quality Commission after his first shift. When the ED failed its surprise safety inspection, the team were given 30 days to get ready for the CQC to return for another full inspection – which could determine the future of the department.
Siobhan offered to do some paperwork for clinical lead Flynn to help ease his stress, and she worked late into the evening to get it done. She decided not to use the money Flynn gave her for a taxi and walked home instead – and it’s then that that she was brutally attacked by a stranger.
This was incredibly shocking for viewers, but it was the most impactful way to tell the story. Horrific attacks can often come completely out the blue, and just like Siobhan, we were caught completely off-guard.
2. It tells the story in a different way
BBC
Soaps have never shied away from the topic of rape and sexual assault, and there are countless examples of how the genre has tackled the issue sensitively, with these fictional storylines empowering people to speak out about their real-life experiences.
In many of these powerful examples on TV, it has taken a while for the victim to report their attack and tell someone about their ordeal as they struggle with feelings of shame. But what makes this Casualty story different is Siobhan is a nurse and so knows exactly how to preserve crucial evidence in the hours after an incident.
The morning after she was raped, Siobhan refrained from washing or changing her clothes and made an appointment at a sexual assault referral clinic (SARC). It’s a perspective we rarely see, when someone who is used to supporting the victims becomes the victim themselves.
3. It’s educational
Photographer://BBC
In the first half of the episode after the attack, we rarely leave Siobhan’s side as she heads to the SARC and we learn exactly what an appointment like this entails. Siobhan is slightly impatient and cynical towards the crisis worker as she is experienced in doing first disclosures at work herself. But as viewers we are also taken through every step of the process, in a candid insight that has rarely been seen on TV.
The crisis worker runs through safeguarding questions then Siobhan is introduced to the forensic nurse, who is there to collect DNA samples. She talks through where there was contact in the assault, so the nurse knows where to look for evidence, then Siobhan is photographed and swabbed.
It’s undoubtedly a distressing process for Siobhan, but what shines through is the kindness and patience of the nurses, who take everything at her own speed and hold her hand as she breaks down in tears during the examination.
Through this episode, Casualty carefully and compassionately demystifies an appointment that many will have no knowledge of. It doesn’t feel like an exaggeration to say that this really could have a lasting impact on victims of sexual assault finding the courage to come forward in the future.
4. It’s powerful
BBC
This storyline is so affecting because it revolves around Siobhan, a character who Casualty viewers have taken to their hearts since she arrived in Holby two years ago. As clinical nurse manager, Siobhan has always been a key source of support to the whole of the ED, so to see her facing such trauma herself now is unsettling and upsetting to watch.
It’s no secret that Melanie Hill is a brilliant actor, but this storyline gives her the opportunity to deliver a true powerhouse performance. Melanie herself has said that while she feels a responsibility to tell this story with care, it’s important that her character is the focus of this plot.
“I’m proud of telling the story of sexual assault to an older person,” she explained, “because you don’t really think that this kind of thing will happen to someone of that age. I am proud of the fact that it was addressed, and I think it’s an important story to tell.”
5. It’s far from over
BBC
Until recently, Flynn was the only colleague Siobhan had told about her rape, and he has been keeping a close eye on her at work ever since. But this week, Siobhan was concerned when she heard her nurses Cam, Rida and Jodie chatting about their evening plans and realised that they were each walking home either late at night on their own or wearing their uniform.
She suddenly snapped and, to warn the trio of the potential dangers, she bravely told her nursing team that she was raped – insisting that she wasn’t a victim and that this wasn’t her shame to carry.
Also this week, Siobhan was given the bad news that the police were unable to obtain a sufficient DNA sample from her swabs, so they didn’t have enough evidence to identify her attacker. But this story is far from over, and in the coming weeks there will be some important updates as she fights to get justice for her ordeal.
It was Siobhan who Cam bravely confided in about the sexual abuse he suffered in his childhood, and we know that Cam will play an important role in this story as he attempts to return the favour and support his boss. All we can say is that there are some twists and turns ahead for Siobhan, Flynn and Cam, and some must-watch episodes in the pipeline.
Casualty airs on Saturday nights on BBC One and now streams first on BBC iPlayer, where episodes are released at 6am on the day of transmission.
Read more Casualty spoilers on our dedicated homepage
If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, which works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on its website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.