Spoiler warning for Thursday 20th June 2024.
*Warning: Contains spoilers for Thursday’s EastEnders episode (20th June 2024), currently available on BBC iPlayer.*
This article contains a discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
EastEnders aired a major turning point for Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) in Thursday’s episode.
The BBC One soap has told a powerful story concerning the Walford favourite after she was sexually assaulted by Pastor Gideon Clayton (portrayed by Howard Saddler) in April.
Since then, Yolande has confided her friend Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) and partner Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) before reporting her experience to the church.
However, after further unsettling behaviour from Pastor Clayton at Jordan Atkins’s baptism this week, Yolande decided to report Clayton to the police in Wednesday’s episode.
In Thursday’s episode, as Yolande’s loved ones searched for her, she underwent a police interview in moving scenes before a police officer told her that she would need to recount the story once more in a sexual assault centre.
Yolande called Elaine to support her as she underwent the gruelling process of relaying her traumatic experience once more.
Back in Walford, Pastor Clayton visited Yolande’s home to check on her whereabouts and even offered his help to Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) in finding her.
Meanwhile, an anxious Patrick confided his anxieties in surrogate daughter Denise Fox (Diane Parish) but stopped short of betraying Yolande’s confidence.
Eventually, Yolande returned home and decided it was time to tell her family the truth and divulged her experience to Denise, Chelsea, and Kim Fox (Tameka Empson).
As they apologised for the pressure surrounding the baptism, a fuming Denise made for the community centre to warn off Pastor Clayton.
However, as Denise, Yolande, and Patrick approached, they witnessed the police arrive to arrest Pastor Clayton on suspicion of sexual assault.
As Pastor Clayton claimed his innocence and highlighted he was a man of god, Yolande watched on in satisfaction that justice may finally be served.
Will the evil Pastor find a way out of this?
For help and support on issues raised within this article, head to Hourglass and End Violence Against Women.
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