Emmerdale viewers fuming as Lydia Dingle is raped by Craig in chilling scenes

Tuesday's episode of Emmerdale (September 5) left fans fuming as Lydia was raped.

Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick) was the unfortunate victim of a sexual assault at the hands of Craig Reed (Ben Addis) in the ITV soap.

Just before the horrific crime unfolded, Lydia was observed snapping at her employer, Kim Tate (Claire King) at Home Farm, as a result of being haunted by her previous encounter with Craig, where they shared an intimate and consensual moment.

READ MORE: EastEnders star joins rival soap Emmerdale as part of dramatic new storyline

Ridden with anxiety and regret, Lydia was then seen heading to Craig’s company to hand in her resignation.

Lydia made the argument of being a married woman to Sam Dingle (James Hooton) and a stepmother to Samson Dingle (Sam Hall), in order to stop all contact with Craig, who accused Lydia of thinking he “didn’t have a life”.

As she hesitated to quit her job, Craig confessed the significance of their recent bond and begged Lydia to reconsider her decision to resign.

The cleaner was captured being concerned with whether she was making the right decision or not, but was soon taken by surprise by Craig, who went on to reveal his true feelings for Lydia.

As Lydia and Craig were sitting on Craig’s couch, the desperate man was seen forcing himself on his terrified victim, as it was explicitly suggested Craig was sexually assaulting Lydia.

Shattered and traumatised following her attack by Craig, Lydia was seen struggling to come to terms with the harrowing experience, while Craig drove her home, acting as if nothing had happened.

The aggressor’s nonchalant behaviour following his violation was not lost on Emmerdale viewers who rushed to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their repulsion.

“Piece of sh*t,” a viewer wrote.

Another wrote: “Oh p*ss off Craig. I can’t stand you.”

A person simply penned: “Horrible.”

“What a horrible f***ing scene! Uncomfortable watching. Poor Lydia,” a separate individual exclaimed.

An X user commented: “Craig makes my skin crawl, a bit like having nits…”

An additional viewer wrote: “Craig,” along with two red angry face emojis.

“What a creep he’s turned out to be, wish he was just a nice character helping another out for a change!,” someone else typed.

*If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999

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