Coronation Street’s hard-hitting grooming storyline took a sinister turn on Wednesday (15 March) night, when Nathan Curtis promised a friend that he could be the first person Bethany Platt has sex with.
The 16-year-old is currently under the impression that she is in a normal, loving relationship with Nathan - who is significantly older - but as viewers know, he has actually been grooming her.
In Wednesday’s show, Bethany attended a party at Nathan’s house, which was secretly a sex ring, and was stunned to find that all of the other guests were men, apart from Nathan’s accomplice Mel.
A conversation between Nathan and his friend Neil then took place, and the former had to tell his friend that they would be waiting until Bethany is “ready” before doing anything.
The exchange was certainly a tough watch and many viewers took to Twitter to discuss it, while also praising the soap for tackling the issue:
Earlier this week, charity Barnardo’s released guidelines for parents worried about their children becoming victims of sexual exploitation.
In a blog published on the Huffington Post UK, Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan also praised the ITV soap.
He wrote: “The programme makers Granada were right to tackle such a difficult subject. It’s an extremely serious but little-discussed issue and a light should be shone on it.
“This kind of grooming, exploitation and abuse goes on under people’s noses every day so it’s vital that parents and carers, as well as teachers and other professionals, are able to spot the warning signs so children and young people can be protected.”
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