Yahoo News Casualty announces sexual abuse storyline for Cam Mickelthwaite
The following article references sexual abuse and the loss of a child.
Casualty has announced a sexual abuse storyline for Cam Mickelthwaite.
The soap's 'Storm Damage' episodes have seen Cam leaning on former mentor Jamie Cleveland to cope with harrowing shifts at Holby City Hospital.
Cam sought professional guidance from Jamie, who recently joined the hospital board, after a child patient died despite his best efforts to save her life.
The soap subsequently hinted there was more to Jamie's backstory with the arrival of new character Bobby, who knew Cam when they were children.
In Saturday's (August 3) episode, Cam will have an emotional conversation with Siobhan McKenzie after Bobby accuses former youth group leader Jamie of sexually abusing him as a child.
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Cam shares painful memories of the abuse he too suffered at Jamie's hands as part of an issue-based story developed with the charities Survivors UK and We are Survivors.
Barney Walsh, who plays Cam, has said of the storyline: "Research shows that one in six men are survivors of sexual abuse, so this is a very important story for us to tell. This storyline will see Cam having to confront the demons of his past, something he has desperately tried to avoid for many years and face up to the realisation that he experienced abuse.
"We want to help anyone who might be affected by abuse, and to highlight that survivors of abuse are not alone, there is always help and support available to them. It’s been a privilege to bring this storyline to screens."
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Producer Liza Melody also previewed the way Casualty will sensitively address a topic that impacts so many people across the UK.
"Viewers have been aware that Cam’s past has come back to haunt him with the arrival of Bobby and Jamie at Holby, but now the audience will discover just why Cam has been struggling so much," the producer said.
"We hope this storyline will help to challenge the perceptions, the stigma, and the shame experienced by male survivors."
We Are Survivors founder Duncan Craig worked directly with the Casualty team on the scripts for these episodes to ensure they felt authentic to real survivors.
As this new storyline is rolled out, Casualty will release supporting content guidance on the BBC iPlayer to help raise awareness and offer support for survivors of sexual abuse.
Casualty airs on Saturday nights on BBC One and now streams first on BBC iPlayer, where episodes are released at 6am on the day of transmission.
Read more Casualty spoilers on our dedicated homepage
Casualty has worked on Cam's storyline with Survivors UK and We are Survivors — both of which offer resources and support for sexual abuse survivors and their loved ones.
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, which works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on its website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
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