Broadchurch star Julie Hesmondhalgh is ‘sick of’ sexual assault against women being normalised on TV: ‘It is not an act of sex, it is not an act of desire – it’s an act of violence!’

Former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh is currently playing rape victim Trish Winterman on the third season of Broadchurch. 

Last week, 7.5 million viewers witnessed the character bravely report to the police – played by Olivia Colman and David Tennant – that she had been brutally attacked by a sexual predator at her friend’s birthday party. 

However, despite playing a rape survivor on the ITV drama series, Julie has admitted that …