Casualty has confirmed that clinical nurse manager Siobhan McKenzie will be at the centre of a harrowing new sexual assault storyline, on the back of the terrifying cliffhanger where the popular character was attacked.

At the end of the most recent episode, Siobhan offered to stay late at work to cover for Flynn, on the back of the hospital failing a spot safety inspection.

She didn’t use the money Flynn gave her for a taxi and decided to walk home instead – but in a horrifying final scene, she was pushed over by a stranger and attacked.

In this Saturday’s episode, a new day dawns for Siobhan as she wakes up after the traumatic events of the previous night. She is shaken by what happened but calmly heads out to a referral centre – and it soon becomes clear that she was sexually assaulted.

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On this huge new story for her character, actor Melanie Hill says: “First of all, as an actress, it’s an amazing story to be given the opportunity to play.

“But with that comes across a lot of responsibility because I am telling a story of these horrible things that unfortunately happen to people. I wanted to make sure it was done sensitively.

“I’m proud of telling the story of sexual assault to an older person, because you don’t really think that this kind of thing will happen to someone of that age. I am proud of the fact that it was addressed, and I think it’s an important story to tell.”

The current boxset, ‘Learning Curve’, will follow Siobhan’s journey in the wake of this shocking attack, as she figures out her next steps and works out how to return to work while the ED is in crisis.

“It’s up and down for her,” Melanie explains. “Some days she fails miserably and goes through a phase of really shutting down. She’s not as compassionate as she normally is, as she tries to protect herself after what she’s been through.

“But then she tries to fight through that, with the help of her colleagues, to get through, keep the job that she loves, and not go under.”

For this storyline, Casualty has worked closely with specialist charities, and there are some hugely powerful scenes ahead in this Saturday’s episode where Siobhan discloses her assault and is examined and photographed at the referral centre.

“Production worked very closely with The Bridge (a sexual assault referral centre in Bristol), Cambridge Rape Crisis, and SurvivorsUK,” says Melanie.

“I went to personally meet the ladies at The Bridge, and that was invaluable. To go there and to see how victims are met at the door and the support they are given by the wonderful people who work there was really helpful.”