EastEnders confirms serious danger as Amy is groomed by villain Craig | Soaps

EastEnders has confirmed danger for Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) as she is targeted and groomed by suspended detective Craig Ingram (Matthew James Bailey).

Craig was introduced back in July to investigate the attack carried out on Joel Marshall (Max Murray).

The detective crossed paths with Amy, daughter of colleague Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), when interviewing all the teen suspects, who were in the park with Joel prior to the attack.

Amy was keen to find out what Craig knew and, believing him to be trustworthy, she confided in him that she was the one who carried out the assault.

Craig contemplated reporting her confession to the police, but he was taken off the case before he could make his mind up.

A complaint was made against him – and it came to light that it wasn’t the first, with DS Reynolds confirming that Craig was being investigated for gross misconduct over ‘engaging in inappropriate relationships with a female officer’.

Craig withheld such information from Amy and instead claimed that he’d decided to keep her name out of it, urging her to come to him if she needs anything.

He subsequently asked her out for a drink and kissed her. When Jack got wind of the fact he’d been texting his daughter, Craig covered by revealing that Amy had attacked Joel, before continuing to meet up with Amy in secret.

EastEnders has now confirmed the direction of the storyline, with Amy groomed by Craig. The BBC One soap is working with Barnardo’s, End Violence Against Women and experts in the field on the story.

Amy, who remains unaware of his suspension, believes she can trust Craig, who will use his position of power to elicit control.

Believing Craig is the only thing standing between her and serious consequences for what happened to Joel, Amy is incrementally manipulated and groomed by Craig across a series of months – and will eventually find herself in danger when Craig creates an environment where she believes he’s the only person she can trust.

Discussing the story in question, EastEnders boss Ben Wadey 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.’

Janaya Walker, Interim Director at End Violence Against Women Coalition added: ‘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.’

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