Published Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Carla, played by Alison King in the soap, was sexually assaulted by her partner, Frank Foster, played by Andrew Lancel, after she called off their wedding.
The flagship centre of the charity, which runs the national helpline for rape victims, has experienced an 800% rise in calls after the scene was broadcast.
Extra volunteers have needed to be drafted into the south London centre to deal with the added volume.
Rosa Knight, helpline co-ordinator at Rape Crisis South London, praised the programme makers for their accuracy.
She said: "Though other programmes have run similar storylines, the response for the Coronation Street storyline has been like nothing we've experienced before. It is so important for mainstream shows to tackle these important issues in a well-researched way and it appears the programme makers worked hard to do just that.
"That we have had such a huge increase in calls demonstrates that woman who have survived rape do need care and support - but they are not always aware of how to get it. We urge women who cannot get through not to give up. We will work our hardest to ensure your call for support is answered."
Statistics show that women are most likely to suffer rape at the hands of somebody they know, said Rape Crisis.
Survivors can go online to www.rapecrisis.org.uk for counselling and support, or call the national Rape Crisis helpline on 0808 802 9999, which is open 12pm to 2.30pm and 7pm to 9.30pm every day.