BROUGHT JUSTICE FOR TEEN
so brave.” The girl, due to start counselling in the New Year, adds: “I faced him at sentencing. It’s impossible to explain the emotions I felt.
“Although it may seem like it’s over I have suffered mentally and physically. I don’t trust a single soul, I have panic attacks.
“My mum has to force me to go to the shops with her. I started to knot my hair and pull it out which is a form of self harm. I did it without knowing.
“But now I have the closure I need to move on.”
TV star Lucy said: “The storyline was incredibly important to me and it was crucial we got it right and told it with accuracy and care.
“She’s astonishingly brave and I hope she can take comfort that speaking out can help more people who might be in a similar situation. I wish her all the best for the future. So many people contacted me to share stories and to let me know the storyline helped them in some way.”
On the show, Bethany was groomed by salon boss Nathan Curtis – played by Christopher Harper. Her ordeal only ended after she was abused by a group of men. Nathan was jailed after Bethany testified.
Corrie producer Iain MacLeod said the story empowered real victims to “recognise what was happening and to speak out”.
Of the abused step-daughter, he added: “Our overwhelming thoughts are compassionate ones for the survivor of this horrific abuse and others in a similar position.
“If Coronation Street helped her in any small way, that alone is a validation of the decision to tell this controversial story.”