Coronation Street is currently tackling the difficult topic of non-consensual sex, as Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney) deals with the aftermath of being raped by former friend Aaron Sandford (James Craven).
Aaron had a row with girlfriend Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) on the day of the assault, which led him to share a drunken kiss with Amy.
However, he failed to notice that Amy had fallen unconscious and was unable to consent to sex when he took things even further.
In upcoming scenes, Amy will continue to open up about her ordeal, and during one such discussion Carla Barlow’s (Alison King) experience at the hands of Frank Foster (Andrew Lancel) is brought up.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Who was Frank Foster?
Frank Foster was a businessman who arrived on the cobbles in early 2011, hoping to do business with Underworld.
In an attempt to seal a lucrative deal, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) attended a business dinner with him, but was left horrified when he tried to sexually assault her.
Carla was unsure what to believe when Maria opened up about what had happened, and ended up completing the deal with Frank.
Things soon progressed further, with Frank buying shares in Underworld and soon beginning a relationship with the formidable businesswoman.
Eventually, he proposed to her, and the pair began preparations for their wedding.
What happened in Carla and Frank’s rape story?
During the lead up to her wedding to Frank, Carla developed feelings for Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne), who had helped her through her struggles with alcohol.
On the night before her wedding, Carla realised where her heart truly lay, and decided to end things with Frank.
He took it badly and accused her of having an affair, despite her insistence that her and Peter hadn’t slept together.
As she tried to make him leave, Frank slammed the door and proceeded to rape her.
Did the case go to trial?
Immediately after the attack, Maria persuaded Carla to contact the police, who arrested Frank when he returned to the flat.
Carla underwent a series of examinations before being questioned.
Frank was ultimately charged with rape, and the case went to court in early 2012.
However, he was unfortunately found not guilty, leaving Carla horrified when he came back to Underworld for business as usual.
Is Frank still alive?
Not long after his return to the factory, Frank was murdered in a big whodunit storyline.
The suspects included Carla and Peter, as well as Carla’s best friend Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh), who had put herself at the scene of the crime by stealing a contract that Frank had conned Carla into signing, and Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) who found the body.
The killer was eventually revealed to be Frank’s own mother, who had overheard him taunting Carla as he finally confessed to raping her.
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What happened to Carla in 2019?
In 2020, it was revealed that Carla had suffered a similar ordeal during her psychotic episode in 2019.
While working at the Rovers, Carla received a visitor, who claimed she had slept with him in exchange for a place to stay after going missing from the street at the height of her mental health crisis.
After confiding in Peter about what had happened, he pointed out that she hadn’t been able to consent, and Carla was left to slowly come to terms with the fact that she had been raped again.
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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