Next month, shocking scenes from Daisy Midgeley’s (Charlotte Jordan) stalker Justin (Andrew Still) attacking her with acid will broadcast on Coronation Street.
As Justin’s obsessive behaviour spiralled out of control and he refused to back down and leave the Corrie favourite alone, viewers watched with grim discomfort.
Daisy, who is engaged to Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard), is growing more afraid of him, especially after he even implies that she is going to be their future spouse.
Daisy is a sassy, self-assured figure. She’s got a gob on her, and if she needs to, she won’t hesitate to instruct others to do one, Charlotte said. But what you see is that he is completely robbing her of her authority.
You have no influence over how other people act or perceive events, so stop trying. She consequently feels completely helpless, and it’s sad to watch Justin steadily get rid of and destroy everything that makes her Daisy.
Fortunately, she is surrounded by people who care about her and will support her during this difficult time, but nobody can truly relate to her plight. Everything that truly makes her who she is is going to be destroyed over time by him.
The ITV soap will feature terrifying sequences in which Justin hurls acid at Daisy in the ensuing chapters of the plot.
It represents a horrifying statistic in the UK, where the number of acid attacks per capita is among the highest in the world. Corrosive substances were used in 310 offences in London alone in 2018.
When investigating the upcoming story, Coronation Street consulted Women’s Aid for advice. Additionally, the soap opera is collaborating with The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a group that helps stalking victims.
According to Saskia Garner, Head of Policy and Campaigns for the trust, “We were really delighted to be asked to feed into this storyline on such an amazingly well-known show.”
Our study has shown that when one party, usually the stalker, accepts that the other person won’t participate in the relationship they want, it can be a real trigger for an escalation in violence and aggression towards the victim because they realise they’ve lost control.
How are they going to get back in control? Can they impose some sort of punishment on that individual for failing to live up to their idealistic expectations for the direction that relationship is supposed to take?
Therefore, we must not minimise the seriousness of stalking, and the victims we speak with frequently express their genuine dread of not only physical violence but also the uncertainty of what is happening to them and what might happen next.
We firmly believe that it is crucial for shows like Coronation Street to address these matters and shed light on the effects of harassment, which affect so many people.
The soap opera last week was filming Daisy and Daniel’s wedding, and images obtained by revealed the worry on the groom and the guests’ expressions when the bride is nowhere to be found.
Is Justin planning to ruin Daisy’s life on the day she will be looking forward to the future the most?
