Coronation Street is set to tackle the issue of hate crime when characters Nina Lucas and Seb Franklin are violently attacked because of her appearance.
In a new storyline set to air in May, the couple will be targeted by a gang of drunken youths who shout abuse about Nina’s (Mollie Gallagher) Victorian Goth identity.
The storyline has many similarities to what happened to Sophie Lancaster, who was murdered in a Lancashire park in 2007, and the soap has worked with a foundation set up by the late 20-year-old’s mother Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE.
Hard-hitting: Coronation Street is set to tackle the issue of hate crime when characters Nina Lucas and Seb Franklin are violently attacked because of her appearance
In scenes which will air next month, Seb (Harry Visinoni) and Nina will be subjected to a violent assault which has similarities to what happened to Sophie.
Sophie and her boyfriend Robert Maltby, then 21, were set upon and beaten in a park simply because of the way they looked on 11 August in 2007.
Sophie’s injuries were so severe, she died in hospital 13 days later, aged 20. Ryan Herbert and Brendan Harris, then both 15, were sentenced to life in prison.
Her mum, Sylvia, set up the Sophie Lancaster Foundation in her daughter’s memory to focus on creating respect and understanding of subcultures in communities.
Murdered for dressing differently: Sophie Lancaster was just 20 years old when she was murdered by a group of teenage boys in a park in Lancashire on 11 August 2007
When the storyline was first discussed producers and the research team approached Sylvia who was delighted to be able to work with them to help highlight the issue.
Corrie viewers have seen Nina and Seb have fall head over heels in love in recent weeks, but her Victorian Goth identity has resulted in some prejudiced reactions.
Among those is character Corey Brent (Maximus Evans), the boyfriend of Nina’s best friend Asha, has long made his intolerance towards Nina known.
In the dramatic episodes, the couple are set to be out walking when Corey and a gang of drunken mates including Kelly Neelan, corner and goad the pair.
New storyline: The tough storyline will draw in the street’s other teenagers and is set to pan out over the year as police try to workout who was responsible for Nina and Seb’s horrific injuries
As Corey starts hurling abuse, Kelly finds herself egged on by the crowd and slaps Nina. Seb and Nina hurry away as the gang gives chase and they find themselves subject to an unprovoked attack.
Back on the Street Abi and Kevin’s hen and stag night parties are brought to an abrupt halt when the police arrive with news of the attack.
As Abi and Roy rush to the hospital to be with Seb and Nina, the police start the investigation to get to the bottom of which of the teenage gang was responsible for the vicious assault that has left the young couple with horrific injuries.
The story will draw in the street’s other teenagers as Summer, Asha and Amy find themselves caught up in the aftermath as potential witnesses in the police inquiry.
‘Coronation Street covering this issue means a huge amount to me’: Sophie’s mum Sylvia helped Corrie with the storyline (pictured on Quest Red series Britain’s Deadliest Kids)
Sophie’s mother Sylvia said that the soap covering a story about the abuse alternative people face ‘means such a huge amount’ to her.
She said: ‘I know first-hand the abuse, harassment and violence that alternative people suffer. Hate crime is usually directed at already stigmatised and minority groups and Sophie was assaulted three times before that final, sustained and brutal attack that took her life – but she never reported the earlier assaults.
‘Coronation Street covering this issue means such a huge amount to me. We want alternative people to know that they shouldn’t be putting up with this prejudice and intolerance, and they should report it.
‘We want the wider community to really appreciate the horror of this violence and understand that difference in itself, is not frightening, it just makes us all who we are.
Jailed: Ryan Herbert (left) and Brendan Harris (right), then both aged 15, were sentenced to life in prison following Sophie’s death
‘We will also use this platform to continue raising awareness of Sophie’s case with the police and judiciary to make sure that hate crime against alternative people is recognised and treated with the degree of severity that it deserves.’
On the importance of tackling this storyline Coronation Street, producer Iain MacLeod said: ‘The issue of intolerance and hatred towards people from different cultures and subcultures is arguably more relevant now than it’s ever been.
‘This incredibly hard-hitting storyline, which centres on a senseless act of violence, will draw in characters from all corners of our narrative universe and will, we hope, leave the audience with a clear message: everyone, regardless of how they look, how they dress or any aspect of how they live their life, should be treated with tolerance and respect.
‘The story will run across the rest of the year and beyond, with many twists and turns, and will be heartbreaking and dramatic in equal measure. In the end, the story will see an optimistic outcome emerge from the traumatic attack.’