A new EastEnders storyline is set to explore the reality of grooming in a plot for Amy Mitchell, played by Ellie Dadd.
In order to tackle the sensitive topic, the BBC soap will be working alongside charities Barnardo’s, End Violence Against Women and experts in the field on the storyline, which will see Amy groomed by DC Craig Ingram, an adult she believes she can trust.
Craig is a younger colleague of Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) at the local cop shop and is played by Matthew James-Bailey, best known for his previous role as Ethan Williams in Hollyoaks.
With Amy having admitted responsibility for Joel’s attack, Craig gained Amy’s trust by agreeing to keep her confession a secret from the police.
Unbeknownst to Amy, Craig has been suspended from public police duty following a series of complaints at work, and he uses his position of power to exert control.
Believing Craig to be the only thing that stands between her and serious consequences for the attack on Joel, Amy is incrementally manipulated and groomed by Craig over a series of months and will eventually find herself in danger when Craig creates an environment where Amy believes he is the only person she can trust.
Ben Wadey, EastEnders’ executive producer, said: “When telling a storyline like Amy’s, we have a huge responsibility to highlight and raise awareness of the warning signs of grooming. We’re grateful to be working with Barnardo’s and End Violence Against Women to help us tell this story.”
Lynn Perry, Barnardo’s chief executive, added: “We welcomed the opportunity to provide expert advice on this storyline – which is a powerful reminder that there is no stereotypical victim or perpetrator of grooming. Young people from all walks of life can be targeted and fall victim to controlling behaviour – and many are often unaware that they are being groomed.
“We hope this important storyline can highlight how subtle the signs of grooming can be and how it builds over time. To any viewers who recognise themselves in this story – who may be currently experiencing abuse or might have in the past – we hope this storyline shows you that the abuse was not your fault and we encourage you to seek support. We appreciate the writing team’s professional curiosity and determination to get this story right.”
Whilst Janaya Walker, Interim Director at End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: “We’re proud to have worked with the EastEnders team on this storyline about grooming and police-perpetrated abuse, which has been delivered with sensitivity and care. On-screen portrayals like this have the power to shift attitudes and increase understanding of abuse across society.
“This storyline will help raise awareness about how those in a position of trust can abuse their power to target women and girls. We hope it can play an important role in making these experiences visible and help victims watching at home to understand that what happened to them was abuse, and to seek support.”
Dadd joined the cast of EastEnders in 2022, taking over the role of Amy Mitchell from Abbie Burke who held the part for eight years. It was decided to recast the role to allow writers to tackle more sensitive and mature storylines, like this one.
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