![](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/04_09_emm_craig_lydia-c891.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick)\u2019s world came crashing down in Tuesday (September 5)\u2019s Emmerdale when she was raped by her boss and former friend Craig (Ben Addis). But while Lydia was left visibly shocked and devastated by the ordeal, Craig seemed oblivious.<\/p>\n
Previously Lydia and Craig had shared a moment of closeness after they visited the final resting place of their son, Toby. Lydia confided in Kim (Claire King) that she felt uneasy about their relationship and was worried that she\u2019d sent out the wrong messages to Craig.<\/p>\n
She decided to resign from her job cleaning at his offices and went to deliver the resignation in person. It quickly became clear that Craig had strong feelings for her, even though she told him firmly that she wasn\u2019t interested. \u2018I\u2019m married. I\u2019ve got a husband, a son, a life,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a webbrowser thatsupports HTML5video<\/p>\n
Since reconnecting with Lydia it seemed that Craig \u2013 who admitted he was a lonely man \u2013 had built the relationship up in his mind into something it wasn\u2019t. \u2018The gods were putting us back in each other\u2019s orbits,\u2019 he said. \u2018Or Toby was.\u2019<\/p>\n
Craig said he could offer Lydia a life beyond her dreams. \u2018The Rolls Royce, the Caribbean island, I can make it all happen. We could make up for all those lost years.\u2019<\/p>\n
He told her he loved her and had never stopped loving her, then he lunged at her, ignoring her telling him no and that she didn\u2019t want to, and raped her.<\/p>\n
Afterwards it was clear to see that Lydia was traumatised and in shock over what had just happened \u2013 but it wasn\u2019t clear to Craig. It was hard to tell whether he genuinely believed that something consensual had happened or whether he was masking his own guilt, but his words to her were horribly cruel as he acted as if what had happened was actually romantic.<\/p>\n
\u2018Funny how things turn out, eh? If you\u2019d told me two days ago that the two of us would\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/metro-parent\/img\/fallback.png\")
<\/p>\n
Lydia interrupted him, desperately asking if she could go home. He offered to drive her, telling her it was a rough part of town. \u2018You don\u2019t want to be out on your own. Anything could happen.\u2019<\/p>\n
For Lydia, it already had.<\/p>\n
On the drive home Craig was still largely oblivious to Lydia\u2019s silence, and he didn\u2019t see the tears that started to stream down her face. He chatted about giving Samson (Sam Hall) driving lessons in his posh car, and made a remark about almost being done for speeding a few days earlier. He said luckily he\u2019d known the police officer who stopped him. <\/p>\n
Will this comment influence whether Lydia chooses to report the rape, thinking that the police are likely to side with Craig?<\/p>\n
As they pulled up outside Wishing Well he grabbed her hand. \u2018Thank you for today,\u2019 he said as she froze. \u2018It was really special.\u2019 He said he wouldn\u2019t dream of saying anything to Sam (James Hooton).<\/p>\n
\u2018We\u2019ll just keep this between us.\u2019<\/p>\n