Poldark’s ‘rape’ on BBC mocks genuine victims

The BBC has behaved totally irresponsibly in showing Elizabeth in Poldark seemingly enjoying sex with her former lover Ross after he forced himself upon her.

What kind of message does this send out to young people, who are confused enough as it is about sex? To me, it shouts out that men can get what they want – and still please a woman – if they’re brutal enough with her.

The BBC said that the sex shown was consensual, yet how could it have been if beforehand Ross has already assaulted Elizabeth several times?

She also said ‘No’ three times, and the programme-makers’ portrayal of Elizabeth’s subsequent willing acquiescence makes a mockery of the campaign for men to understand that ‘No’ means ‘No’.

B. McLean, Manchester

Anti-rape campaigner Julie Bindel is right. What we saw was rape. And I also agree with the comments you printed from Sarah Green, from the End Violence Against Women Coalition. By showing the stereotype that women like to be treated roughly by men, we are making it easier for victims’ genuine stories of rape to be challenged.

David Black, Edinburgh

It is common for former lovers like Elizabeth and Poldark to have love-hate relationships in which sometimes arguments turn to passion.

In the show Elizabeth is a smart girl who knows that men can be animals. If she hadn’t wanted him in her bed she wouldn’t have opened the door and let him in.

J. Bell, London

What sickens me is that the makers of Poldark are playing on the old-fashioned fantasy that women want to be dominated. No one I know thinks like that. To me it reeks of the wish-fulfilment of a certain type of middle-aged man.

A. Shepherd, Liverpool

This is very dangerous territory. At the recent London Film Festival I saw Elle, a new film made by Basic Instinct director Paul Verhoeven in which the lead character keeps on willingly putting herself in situations in which she could be raped.

And at one point, when it does happen, she seems to enjoy it.

We’ve come such a long way to arrive at the point when we treat rape seriously and have discounted the abominable fallacy that women might enjoy it.

We should not now be turning the clock back. James Benn, London