He made a brave decision.
**This article includes discussions of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.**
EastEnders‘ Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) decided it was time to report his rapist Lewis Butler (Aidan O’Callaghan) tonight (17th August).
Ben was attacked by barman Lewis months ago, and he was originally encouraged by mum Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) to go to the police. But Ben couldn’t go through with it, and his ongoing trauma led to a medical emergency as he took drugs to cope.
This week, Ben’s aunt Sam (Kim Medcalf) was keen to impress brother Phil (Steve McFadden), so she tracked Lewis down so that he could get some Mitchell justice for Ben. But Phil recently decided to step up for his son and so he told Sam that her plan was a mistake – but things quickly spiralled out of control when Lewis escaped from the car boot he was being held in.
Lewis pointed Phil’s own gun at him, but Phil managed to regain the upper hand. And just as Phil was tempted to dish out some vengeance, Ben arrived on the scene. He soon told his relatives that he wanted to deal with Lewis himself.
What followed was a showdown which saw Ben take back the power that had been stolen from him as he aimed the gun at Lewis himself, before demanding that his attacker admit the truth. Eventually, Lewis declared just what he had done to Ben, but Ben soon came to the conclusion that Lewis had committed sexual assault before when he spoke about sex in a certain away.
After giving Lewis a scare, Ben eventually walked away without shooting or killing him. He then told his dad that he was going to the police to report what had happened to him. Phil was proud of him, and Ben seemed to have found some purpose after a truly harrowing time.
Will Ben go ahead with his plan?
EastEnders has worked closely with Survivors Manchester on Ben’s storyline. You can find help and support at www.survivorsmanchester.org.uk and www.survivorsuk.org.
Read more:
- EastEnders reveals outcome of Mitchell revenge plot on Lewis
- Does Ben Mitchell die in EastEnders? Shock drugs collapse explained
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