EastEnders' executive director Diederick Santer has revealed it's 'not cut and dried' that paedophile Tony King will be convicted in his forthcoming trial. Chris Coghill is reprising his role as the man who abused teenager Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), and will stand in the dock. Asked whether a conviction risks giving false hope in light of a poor conviction rate for child abusers in real life, Diederick told the Radio Times>: "It's by no means cut and dried that Tony will be convicted." He went on: "We wanted to show that without the victim finding the courage to speak out, there is no chance whatsoever of conviction. "Ultimately despite the difficulties she experiences, speaking out proves a positive experience for Whitney as she makes the transition from victim to survivor." The original storyline attracted controversy, drawing complaints that it was an inappropriate plot to show before the watershed. However, Childline reported a marked increase in calls when the story was broadcast. Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk’s new weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop
