I think it was a natural progression for my character's journey to go on, to finally go and speak and say it out loud, because she kept it bottled up for so long.
I think a lot of people have been able to relate to it, regardless of the gender.
It was a very fragile and sensitive topic, I felt I had to commit to this and do it justice."
Atkins added that public awareness around underreported crimes influenced her commitment to the performance.
"She goes to the police and they are understanding, but what happened to her isn't classed as rape, so she feels extremely unlistened to and as though it lessens the gravity of it.
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There are so many people who have experienced this, and they don't feel like they get the justice they're seeking.
It's a very sensitive topic, but it needs to be talked about," Atkins stated.
"And obviously it's so underreported as well, because people feel that if it's not going to be classed as rape, there's no point.
It was an incredibly powerful storyline and I was just honoured and privileged to be given it to play.
When I read the factual stuff that I was given about how under-reported it was, I thought, this storyline has to be taken on and committed.
I just had to commit in a way that people out there can watch and go okay, it's not just me then."
