Summary of complaint
We received complaints from viewers who had concerns that Linda was blackmailed into falsely retracting a rape allegation.
Our response
EastEnders is a fictional drama that has a rich history of tackling sensitive issues and Linda’s story is one of these. Since Linda’s rape storyline aired in September 2014, viewers have been aware that Dean has never admitted his guilt. Whilst dramas often portray situations that may not be the same as real life, we believe our audience know to expect such storylines and, we are also confident that regular EastEnders viewers will be aware that these scenes will form part of a bigger storyline where the issue will be tackled again.