Sexual violence is so normalised that 59% of young women have been attacked. The creators and stars of bold new show Consent explain this awful culture – and why it’s worse in private schools
Natalie has just joined an independent sixth form as a scholarship student. She fancies her friend Alice’s brother, Archie – a star pupil destined for Oxbridge. Archie really likes her, too. But his friends use a WhatsApp group to constantly pressure him into having sex (“We’re basically paying her fees; she can pay on her knees”) and share links to porn. After a party one night, Archie sends the group a video to prove he has slept with Natalie. A few days later, however, he is confused when an upset Natalie says she doesn’t remember anything. “Why are you being like this?” he asks. “Did you use a condom?” she cries.
This is the premise for Channel 4’s blood-boiling new one-off drama, Consent, which explores how insidious sexual assault has become in the UK education system.
