Casualty fans ‘heartbroken’ as Barney Walsh’s character reveals horrifying sexual abuse he suffered as a child
CASUALTY fans became emotional after seeing Cameron Micklethwaite open up about being molested as a child.
The nurse decided to speak about his traumatic past to Siobhan after his abuser becoming a new board member at the hospital.
In heartbreaking scenes Cam admitted that Jamie Cleveland (Ryan Hawley) had taken advantage of him as a child.
She encouraged him to spend the night in her home so he didn’t have to struggle with the difficult memories alone.
However, when her husband suddenly broke up with her, Siobhan was too embarrassed for Cam to see that her home life was in disrepair and rescinded the invitation.
He left the hospital sadly, looking deflated.
People watching Casualty at home took to social media to share how difficult the scenes were to watch.
One person cried: “Cam & Sibohan are breaking my heart tonight.”
Another fumed: “Jamie needs to be arrested and in a prison cell by the end of this mini series for Cam to get the justice he deserves.”
A third shared: “I’m so proud of Cam for telling Siobhan about his assault. He’s so brave.”
Actor Barney Walsh previously shared how proud he is to have a part in such an important storyline.
He told The Radio Times, “Research shows that one in six men are survivors of sexual abuse, so this is a very important story for us to tell.
“This storyline will see Cam having to confront the demons of his past, something he has desperately tried to avoid for many years, and face up to the realisation that he experienced abuse.
“We want to help anyone who might be affected by abuse, and to highlight that survivors of abuse are not alone, there is always help and support available to them. It’s been a privilege to bring this storyline to screens.”
Liza Mellody, the Casualty series producer, added: “Viewers have been aware that Cam’s past has come back to haunt him with the arrival of Bobby and Jamie at Holby, but now the audience will discover just why Cam has been struggling so much.
“We hope this storyline will help to challenge the perceptions, the stigma, and the shame experienced by male survivors.”
Show bosses also made it clear that they worked closely with charities Survivors UK and We are Survivors to ensure the storyline is handled with care and sensitivity.
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