Coronation Street is set to feature a controversial storyline tackling the “right to die” issue involving a character who is terminally ill.
The soap’s first transgender character, Hayley Cropper (played by Julie Hesmondhalgh) was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Plot
The show has revealed that she will eventually take the decision to end her own life over fears that she will “lose control” as her health begins to deteriorate.
“The palliative care Hayley receives is superb but she is scared that the pain relief can cause confusion and a loss of clarity,”Coronation Street producer Stuart Blackburn said.
“She is concerned she could regress to being Harold, she's already had one such nightmare. She wants to die in peace with clarity of thought, she wants to die as Hayley - the identity she has spent her whole life fighting for.”
Her husband Roy will be shown as being strongly opposed to her decision, with the BBC claiming that the story will therefore address “both sides of the debate.”
Dangerous
But Andrea Williams of Christian Concern said: “Programmes such as Coronation Street need to be careful about suicide storylines. The phenomenon of ‘copycat suicide’ is well documented.
“In its guidelines for media professionals the World Health Organisation refers to over 50 studies on suicide contagion.
“Suicide storylines on TV put people in a similar situation to the character on screen at risk. It’s not just irresponsible but dangerous.
"If ever there was a storyline that summed up the confusion of our times, it's this one - mixing gender identity and the false idea of ultimate personal autonomy."
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