'I was raped like David Platt in Coronation Street' Rape victim who advised writers about soap's storyline reveals his brutal attack by two men

Millions felt sick to their stomachs watching a harrowing Coronation Street scene where fan favourite David Platt was raped.

But for 23-year-old DJ Sam Thompson the storyline was personal as he was raped by two men on a night out in Manchester two years ago.

The traumatic event left him unable to leave his parents' house for weeks and he only recently has worked his way back.

He drew on his experience to advise the show's writers on the scene where Platt is drugged and raped by his new friend Josh Tucker, and the aftermath.


Mr Thompson didn't initially realise what was happening to him when he woke up in a hotel room, and it was only when the physical pain kicked in that the horror of the situation hit him.

'I didn't know if it was a dream or a nightmare. I only remember snippets of it, and my memory of the whole ordeal is hazy,' he said.

'It was the way I was in pain - that was the biggest indication.

'When it was over I got up and left and started walking home to my flat where my girlfriend and friend were waiting for me. When I got back to the flat I just burst out crying.'

Mr Thompson, then 22, had lived in Manchester just a few weeks when his horrific ordeal unfolded in September 2016.

He had moved to the city from Newark, Nottinghamshire, with his then-girlfriend, to pursue his dream of becoming a professional DJ.

Keen to check out the city's nightlife, Sam and his best friend Brady ventured into the city centre and spent the evening exploring different pubs and clubs.

They lost each other in a haze of vodka shots and Mr Thompson, who had also lost his mobile phone, started chatting to a group of people outside a club.

Before long people started to leave. Mr Thompson was left alone with just two men,who persuaded him to stay for 'one last drink'.

'We were all drinking and it's a really hazy memory. I think I was having a good laugh. The group fizzled down to just two people and me,' he said.

'My memory is hazy, but the next thing I remember is one of them pulling off my trousers.'

What followed was an ordeal which lasted hours - in which Mr Thompson says the two men took it in turns to rape him.

At the time, Mr Thompson could not explain why he didn't fight back. He froze. A therapist has since told him that people respond to trauma in different ways and the 'fight, flight or freeze' response kicks in.

He remembers leaving the hotel at around 8am, after the men had finished.

He walked out onto the street with no understanding of where he was in his new city. After finding his bearings, he staggered towards his home in a daze.