EastEnders has been working with Causeway and National Autistic Society on their ongoing cuckooing storyline which culminated last week to demonstrate how Kojo’s vulnerability was abused in real-time for Ravi and Okie’s criminal gain.
The storyline, which has been playing out for a while, will escalate further this week when Okie is fatally stabbed. Viewers will have already seen Kojo deal with months of coercion by Ravi and Okie. Okie had convinced him to become part of their operation after months of blackmail and manipulation masked as friendship.
In scenes that aired last week, Harry and Kojo finally broke free from Okie’s web of manipulation. Kojo seized an opportunity to escape and inform his brother, George, and Harry’s dad, Teddy. Both men were oblivious to the extent of danger the pair had found themselves in.
However, the situation takes a turn for the worse this week. During a face-to-face confrontation with Okie, an argument breaks out about the extent of information they have both given to the police. As Harry fights to protect himself, Okie is accidentally and fatally stabbed.
Executive Producer for EastEnders, Ben Wadey, spoke about the story saying ‘At EastEnders, we’re proud to tell stories that reflect the real challenges people face, and Kojo’s cuckooing storyline is one that feels especially important. Cuckooing is a form of exploitation that too often goes unseen and hasn’t been featured on EastEnders before.’
‘Through Kojo’s experience, we hope to have shined a light on how easily vulnerable people can be manipulated and isolated – something that can happen in any community but feels particularly resonant in a city like London, where people live side by side and yet can still slip through the cracks.’
Helen Ball, CEO at Causeway added: “Causeway are proud to have supported EastEnders on this important and timely storyline. Cuckooing is a cruel and dehumanising form of exploitation where the home of someone vulnerable is taken over by criminals. We were grateful to EastEnders for the opportunity to work with their team on the research behind this storyline and we hope that by shining a light on cuckooing, EastEnders can help raise awareness of the issue and help people spot the signs of grooming and exploitation around them.”
Dr Judith Brown, Head of Evidence and Research at the National Autistic Society added: “It’s a privilege to work with the EastEnders team on such a painful yet significant storyline about Kojo’s ‘cuckooing’ or home takeover. We thank the entire EastEnders team for focusing on a genuine issue that impacts the lives of autistic people.
The awful truth is that autistic people are more at risk of abuse, victimisation and exploitation than non-autistic people. Because autistic people can find it hard to interpret social cues, emotions and inferred meaning, some may not always recognise manipulative or dangerous behaviours from others. We hope this storyline encourages any autistic person or parent of autistic children to learn what abuse and exploitation can look like.”
