OPINION: While Piper’s death was shocking in Emmerdale, let’s not forget about Tom’s horrific treatment of Belle

Tags: Belle Dingle, Belle’s Abusive Marriage To Tom In Emmerdale, Emmerdale, Opinion, Tom King

Viewers of Emmerdale have been outraged in recent months over Tom King’s treatment of dog Piper.

Emmerdale stepped things up a notch by having Tom knock Piper over – and in Monday’s episode (August 19) of the soap, Piper sadly died from her injuries.

Some dog abuse scenes resulted in many complaints to Ofcom. But while it’s great that we’re a nation of pet lovers, it’s important that we don’t forget Piper hasn’t been the only victim of Tom’s abuse.

Tom’s treatment of Belle has been despicable, yet the level of outrage has been nowhere near as high.

Belle and Tom in Emmerdale

Tom and Belle’s abuse storyline has escalated this year.

Producer Laura Shaw previously said: “As harrowing as it can be to watch this type of storyline play out, it’s imperative that we use our platform to shine a light on domestic abuse, and help give a voice to people who have so often been silenced.”

Tom has controlled Belle via manipulation and technology – installing secret cameras into their house.

Viewers have seen Tom try to turn Belle against her own family. In one upsetting scene, Tom vented his dislike for the Dingles and kicked an urn containing her late mum’s ashes.

Tom has also regularly put Belle down, while showering others with compliments. One scene saw him tell Gabby that she looked like she had stepped out of a style magazine.

Another episode saw Tom brutally attack Vinny after growing jealous over the amount of time he and Belle were spending together.

Other incidents include the time Belle found herself trapped in a burning house after Tom had locked her in.

Tom’s abuse also turned physical with wife Belle. One distressing scene saw him hold her hand under a hot tap.

Meanwhile, in another scene, he punched her in the stomach leaving her bruised.

Tom has manipulated everyone around them too, convincing the villagers that Belle has mental health problems and it is actually her who is abusing him.

Tom has abused Piper and Belle (Credit: ITV)

Piper in Emmerdale

After Belle checked herself into a mental health facility, Tom became concerned that she’d spill the beans about how he’d treated her.

He then poisoned her beloved dog Piper, as an attempt to get her to come back home.

The scene sparked hundreds of complaints from upset viewers, despite Emmerdale reassuring fans about the welfare of Minnie, the dog actor who plays Piper.

Last week, the dog cruelty was stepped up as Tom purposely hit Piper with a car.

While watching animals be harmed will always tug at the heartstrings, it seems for many, Belle has been forgotten in all of this as viewers take to X in their droves to express their outrage over the treatment of Piper.

Belle has faced abuse from Tom for months (Credit: ITV)

Justice for Belle

Piper has been used by Tom as collateral to hurt Belle. While of course, dog abuse is incredibly sad and awful – it’s important to not lose sight of the bigger picture.

Men like Tom exist and it’s important that all levels of his behaviour are shamed. Soaps are in the opportune position where they can highlight these harrowing issues.

Emmerdale has done that well by sharing scenes of coercive control, violence, emotional abuse and technology-facilitated abuse.

Eden Taylor-Draper (who plays Belle) has played her part magnificently, but along with Piper, Belle needs a vocal fan club too.

Recent scenes have seen Belle end her marriage to Tom, but with the storyline running to the end of the year in order to give it as much authenticity as possible, there could still be many twists and turns.

One thing we’ll hopefully see, though, is justice for Belle for all she has endured.