Page 28 - Community Living Magazine 32 - 4

arts: TV review
Coerced or willing?

A person with Down’s syndrome is given a
complex character in BBC hit thriller Line of Duty.
Tracey Harding follows an intriguing plotline

Line of Duty (Series 5) The fifth series
BBC1, 2019 referred back to series 1
Creator: Jed Mercurio with the reappearance of
a character with learning
There are a few television series which disabilities, Terry Boyle, played by Tommy taken photos of the officers who entered
become almost national institutions, and Jessop. The OCG pays a visit to Terry’s the building. One of the group, Ryan,
Line of Duty (BBC1), first aired in 2012, house; in the first scene, they used to hang continues to abuse and taunt him, and
must surely be one of them. Series 5 has out here and take advantage of him. viewers are shocked when it is revealed
finished, and a sixth has been promised. When the group visit, they are looking that the body of a woman the group had
Created by Jed Mecurio, the series for information from him with regard to murdered is still in Terry’s freezer.
follow DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) Kingsgate Printing Services across the It was an interesting subplot, and good
and DS Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure). street, which is used by the OCG and was to see a character with learning
Together, they work under the supervision recently raided by AC-12. As they abuse disabilities being written with the same
of Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian him verbally and physically because of complexities as others.
Dunbar) to uncover corruption within the what they regard is his inability to recall The viewer is left pondering whether
police force as part of a special unit, AC12. information, Terry turns the tables and has Terry was coerced by the group, or
As the five series progress, it is revealed the upper hand as he reveals that he has whether he was involved willingly.
that the force contains a network of corrupt Jessop was the first actor with Down’s
police officers with links to an organised syndrome to star in a BBC prime-time
crime group, referred to as the OCG. drama – Coming Down the Mountain in
While each series has had disparate 2007 – and is the founding member of
story lines, a link runs through them all – award-winning integrated theatre
the mystery of the identity of “H”, the company Blue Apple Theatre, where he
code name for the overlord responsible was the first professional actor with
for major corruption within the force. Down’s syndrome to play Hamlet. n

Psychotherapy and the lives within ideas to thinking about learning disability.
Sinason has contributed important
One of these is “secondary handicap”,
Intellectual Disability and Psychotherapy: This pleasing and accessible collection where defence mechanisms used by a
the Theories, Practice and Influence of of short essays puts forward a strong person mean their emotional difficulties
Valerie Sinason counter argument. It is centred around are ascribed to their disability rather than
Edited by Alan Corbett the work of psychoanalyst and their emotional state or life experiences.
Routledge, 190pp, £29.99 psychotherapist Valerie Sinason, who has She also coined the term “the disabled
long argued that people with learning smile”, the creation of a false happy self,
Since Sigmund Freud’s “talking cure” of disabilities can benefit from mainly to keep the outside world happy.
psychoanalysis emerged, many schools of psychotherapeutic intervention. Most controversially, she developed Wolf
psychotherapy have followed, united in The book includes chapters from three Wolfensberger’s idea of “death making”,
their commitment to bringing writers familiar to readers of the sometimes unconscious urge led by
about change in people’s lives Community Living – our medical science to “eradicate” learning
through some sort of verbal contributors Noelle Blackman, disability, which leads to people with
process that brings out David O’Driscoll and Jan learning disabilities and those who
inner feelings. Walmsley – who each give produced them being seen as unwelcome
But for one group of people, considered praise for the role and excluded from the human world.
those with limited or little that Sinason has played, Walmsley considers if this process is at
verbal communication, who are sometimes controversially, in play in the rejection and vilification of
sometimes seen by others as highlighting the value of families by some service providers
having no sort of inner life at all, psychotherapy for learning involved in episodes of abuse.
the idea of psychotherapeutic disabled people. The book All of this and much more are explained
intervention has always is edited by the much- and discussed intelligently and clearly in
been seen as problematic. admired psychotherapist this highly recommended book. n WorldProductions
Psychotherapy and learning disability Alan Corbett, who sadly died before
have never been comfortable partners. it was published. Review by Simon Jarrett

28 Vol 32 No 4 | Summer 2019 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk