The Archers: 'Realistic' domestic abuse storyline praised by charities as Helen Titchener fund donations flood in

Domestic abuse charities have praised the powerful storyline in The Archers that came to a dramatic climax on Sunday night.

The BBC Radio 4 soap’s harrowing plot has been a huge talking point among listeners for months, with the latest episode seeing Helen Titchener fight back against her husband Rob when he caught her trying to leave and began yet more abuse in front of her young son Henry.

Rob had been torturing Helen with relentlessly controlling behaviour, psychological bullying, violence and rape but enough proved enough when she stabbed him in a final bid to free herself from the power he held over her.

The scene had a huge impact on listeners, sending Twitter into meltdown, with respected QC Nigel Pascoe saying he would be “more than prepared” to represent Helen in a court case, “along with most of the criminal bar”.

Refuge, which offers domestic violence help for women and children, has responded to the hard-hitting development, with CEO Sandra Horley writing on the charity’s website that it is as “shocked as everyone else by the dramatic turn of events” and proud of script writers for “reflecting the reality for many women today”.

“Listeners do not know how this story will unfold,” her statement read. “What they do know is that Helen obviously felt under threat from an aggressive man. Rob was behaving in a menacing way towards Helen’s son Henry, and in the melee that ensued, Rob suffered (apparently) fatal wounds. This episode tells us that a victim of prolonged abuse may one day fight back when she is in great danger.

“Helen’s situation mirrors what so many abused women feel and experience every day. It is important to remember that research shows an abused woman is at most risk at the point of separation. This storyline simply reflects the reality for many women today and I congratulate the script writers for highlighting a much ignored issue.”

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Polly Neate, CEO of Women’s Aid, echoed Horley’s comments, emphasising how “very realistic” Helen’s experience is and confirming that the charity has been advising The Archers team on the storyline.

“Some listeners have expressed their belief that the events of last night are not realistic – and it is true that a victim of domestic abuse attacking the perpetrator is far less common than the other way around,” she said. “Two women a week, on average, are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales. However, some abused women do attack their partners after experiencing long-term abuse – often when they are fearing for their life or the lives of their children.

“We need to remember the terrible abuse that Helen has been living with for a long time – the prison that Rob has built around her, the stripping of her freedoms, the mental torment. Helen’s experience is very realistic, and Women’s Aid has made sure of this by advising The Archers team on the development of this storyline.”

Listener Paul Trueman has set up The Helen Titchener Rescue Fund to raise money for Refuge because “for every fictional Helen, there are real ones”. Over £90,000 has been raised so far following an influx of donations on Sunday.

Readers affected by this article can call the National Domestic Violence Helpline 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247, run in partnership by Women’s Aid & Refuge​