Hollyoaks has confirmed a hard-hitting new storyline for Leela Dexter (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) as the true reason behind her distressed behaviour has come to light.

During the skipped year that viewers did not see, it has emerged that Leela was raped by Abe Fielding (Tyler Conti), the abuser who has been subjecting Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin) to emotional, coercive and physical attacks for over a year.

With Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) missing, a search party got underway and, once in the woods, it became clear that Leela was deeply anxious.

It triggered a panic attack and viewers discovered that she had been assaulted during Theresa’s birthday party, a secret that she has kept to herself since.

Having been distancing herself from her loved ones since the birth of her daughter Clara, Leela is struggling to cope with what has happened to her.

Following the reveal in the episode, Hollyoaks will continue to work with Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis England & Wales as the storyline progresses, touching on themes of sense triggers, consent, and pregnancy/post-birth as a survivor of rape.

The charities will also continue to support the show in the exploration of Abe’s abuse of Cleo.

Currently, he is holding her hostage while her loved ones believe she is abroad in Bali and has since become engaged to Peri Lomax (Ruby O’Donnell).

But when Cleo realises that Abe has gaslit her into believing his mum Marie (Rita Simons) died in the accident she was involved in, she starts to try and plot an escape from his control and captivity in the dark room.

Leela’s introduction into the storyline unfolds across this week, with Metro understanding there are a lot more developments to come as viewers hope for Abe to face justice for his appalling crimes.

Addressing her new scenes, Kirsy-Leigh Porter told us: ‘I think it’s extremely important and vital of Hollyoaks to tell this story.

‘With Leela’s rape story, I found it difficult for Leela’s character to experience what she did and how vulnerable she was/is, but many woman unfortunately feel vulnerable at some point in their lives, and that shows that this can happen to anyone. I hope everyone who has been through this gets the help and support they need.’

Communications Manager of Women’s Aid, Katrina Kelly shared: ‘Working with Hollyoaks over the last few years has been such a vital way of raising awareness about the very real threat that women face on a daily basis.

‘We know that one in four women over the age of 16 will experience abuse in their lifetime, and it takes a whole-society approach to come together and call out these unacceptable behaviours.

‘This storyline is instrumental in showing that there are many different forms of abuse – controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence – and sends an important message to survivors that they are not alone.”

CEO of Rape Crisis England and Wales, Ciara Bergman, said: ‘Rape and sexual assault are devastating experiences for victims and survivors, and while we may never know their true scale, it’s estimated that 1 in 4 women in England & Wales have been raped or sexually assaulted as an adult.

‘We commend Hollyoaks for highlighting rape and its impact on women; it’s vitally important that survivors see and hear their stories told in ways that realistically portray the devastating impact these experiences can have on them, and that the general public understand this, too.

‘We’re pleased to be working with Hollyoaks again to ensure their storylines reflect the experiences that survivors so often disclose to us and our member centres, and to reflect the reality of rape and its impact.

‘We know that Leela’s story will resonate with many women and girls. Flashbacks can happen to anyone who has experienced trauma, including survivors of sexual violence and abuse, and they can be incredibly overwhelming and distressing.

‘If you’ve been impacted by rape or any other form of sexual violence or abuse, whether it happened recently or a long time ago – or you’re not sure what happened – Rape Crisis England & Wales can support you and help you to find a local service.

Last week Metro introduced This Is Not Right, our year-long campaign around violence against women.

Metro’s Editor Deborah Arthurs said: ‘The epidemic of violence against women was called a national emergency earlier this year by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

‘That is why Metro is today launching This Is Not Right, a 12-month campaign addressing the relentless epidemic of violence against women, that aims to both engage and empower our readers

‘Because despite the troubling rise in violence against women, there is a serious and harmful lack of awareness of its scale that is inhibiting progress towards reversing the trend.’

Soaps continue to be at the forefront of highlighting issues around violence against women. Alongside Cleo’s ordeal at the hands of Abe, Emmerdale has been exploring mental, physical and technology abuse with Tom King (James Chase) subjecting Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) to a relentless campaign of control and cruelty.