Coronation Street's Frank Foster is set to rape his fiancee Carla Connor after she calls off their wedding. The difficult storyline will reportedlyscreen in September, despite Coronation Street boss Phil Collinson's comments earlier this week that the soap had been focusing too much on crime and needed to change direction, the Sun reports. Phil said: "We've been at the police station and the court a little bit too much." Businessman Frank, played by Andrew Lancel, has already attempted to rape Carla's ex-sister-in-law Maria Connor (Samia Smith), and he turns on his fiancee, played by Alison King, after she confesses her love for Peter Barlow. The actual rape will not be shown as the ITV show screens before the watershed, but Carla will be shown cowering with a torn skirt and bruised wrists as sadistic Frank tries to convince her the rape was her fault, it's been reported. Maria will then support her friend as she reports the incident to the police, and is shown going to hospital to be tested for sexually transmitted infections, while Frank is ordered to give a DNA sample to the police. Coronation Street staff and Alison have been working closely with rape support groups to ensure the storyline is portrayed as realistically as possible. It will also result in further violence when Peter learns what has happened and attacks Frank, leading to his own arrest.
