After tackling the difficult topic of rape and sexual assault, long running BBC soap, EastEnders revisited child sexual abuse. The storyline showed Yolande Trueman being groomed and sexually assaulted by Pastor Gideon Clayton at the community centre.

In the programme, the pastor groomed Yolande through manipulation, flattery and gifts in order to gradually gain her trust and break down her boundaries. Grooming is a process used by abusers to gain an emotional connection with their intended victims, often with the aim of sexually exploiting them.

 The storyline looked at the aftermath of the sexual abuse, when a friend played a crucial role in providing support for Yolande. By offering understanding and assistance, family and friends can help survivors navigate their experiences and begin the healing process.

Encouraging survivors to seek professional help from support services is important. Likewise, it’s important to remind friends and family to prioritise their own self-care as listening to harrowing accounts of abuse and offering support to survivors can impact their mental health too. This is often referred to as vicarious trauma.

The episode emphasised the importance of speaking out and seeking support in order to break free from the cycle of abuse.

Yolande recognised her husband was noticing her acting out of character and asked her friend to tell her husband on her behalf. Confrontations arose between Yolande and her husband, when Patrick Trueman approached the pastor, who implied Yolande was unwell and suffering from dementia.

Dementia is often used by abusers to discredit the experiences of older victim-survivors. A form of gaslighting, abusers point out the individuals lack of mental capacity and memory issues to dispute that abuse has occurred or even to discourage older survivors from reporting the abuse.

Like most survivors it was difficult for Yolande to come forward and report the abuse, however, with the support of her husband she was able it to tell church officials. During the conversation with her husband, Yolande tearfully refers to historic sexual harassment and abuse, saying “we were never taught consent, women my age, we never said no”.

For older survivors, generational issues can lead to a lack of understanding of what constitutes abuse, and many may not realise that abuse has even occurred. Later, when survivors realise what has happened to them was abuse, we often find that their mental wellbeing deteriorates as they battle with accepting everything begin to understand how it has impacted their lives.

The episode showed how the abuser manipulated the church officials so that no action was taken against him. Again, this is something that we see all too often. The abuser being in a position of power/authority and being believed over the people that they have abused.

Yolande finally found the courage to go to the police and report the sexual assault. We soon learnt that Yolande wasn’t the only woman he’d assaulted. Other women were seen speaking out, including one who revealed he’d raped her in 2016.

The Church of England is slowly recognising the need to treat survivors of abuse fairly and will open a scheme to compensate victims in February 2025.

It is so important for survivors of all ages who have suffered sexual abuse to come forward. By breaking the silence, survivors not only obtain justice and healing for themselves but also contribute to raising awareness, challenging societal norms, and holding abusers accountable.

The devastating subject of grooming and sexual assault is often discussed in the media. Although this can often be triggering for survivors of abuse it also increases discussions, raises awareness and encourages more survivors to come forward and get justice.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this EastEnders storyline or are concerned about an older person in your life, contact us today. We can help you to take action against sexual assault and determine whether or not you can claim compensation.  

For a confidential conversation with a member of our specialist team, please call us on 0800 138 0458 email help@switalskis.com or message us via WhatsApp