As Poldark has another rape scene, why is TV so obsessed with sex crimes?
FANS of Poldark were first attracted to the period drama by its dashing hero and romantic storylines. But the BBC1 show seems to have left those tranquil days firmly behind after it shocked viewers with yet another rape scene.
Families watched in horror as the villainous vicar Osborne Whitworth spied on a teenage girl in the bath before going on to rape his wife.
It came after rape charities last year criticised the BBC drama for its ‘appalling message’ when Ross Poldark appeared to rape his former fiancee Elizabeth Warleggan.
Poldark is one of a number of popular programmes to face criticism for using sexual violence in a bid to boost ratings.
In April, Emmerdale viewers were horrified over Rhona Goskirk’s dramatic rape scene, which aired two hours before the watershed. The final series of Broadchurch centred around the rape of character Trish Winterman, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh. Meanwhile, actress Emily Watson has spoken of being left ‘traumatised’ after filming rape scenes in BBC drama Apple Tree Yard.
While the first series of Poldark drew an average of 6million viewers per episode in 2015, this fell to 5.1million for the second season last year. The current series has fared even worse, with an average of 4.9million tuning in.
Midway through last night’s episode, sexobsessed Whitworth was shown secretly watching his wife’s 15-year-old sister Rowella Chynoweth in the bath.
Moments later he burst into his bedroom, where his terrified wife, Morwenna, was cowering in bed. She had earlier spoken of his regular demands for sex, and was shown pleading: ‘No, Ossie, please I cannot.’ However her ordeal continued, with her husband responding: ‘We will say a prayer and it will soon be over. Just close your eyes and submit’. Although the show’s writer Debbie Horsfield appears to have closely followed author Winston Graham’s text when devising the scene, there is likely to be debate over the extent to which it needed to be shown.
At the time the novel was set, in the 18th century, the term rape was not applicable to a married couple. In the last series of Poldark, Ross was seen forcefully kissing Elizabeth, played by Heida Reed. She pushes him away but when he forces her on to the bed she appears to give in to him. At the time, charity End Violence Against Women said directors had ‘made the representation of non-consensual sex ambiguous by making her appear to change her mind’.
Production company Mammoth Screen defended last night’s scene. A spokesman said: ‘In the novels Winston Graham has created The Reverend Ossie Whitworth as a despicable character. We have chosen to depict this element of the novels ... because to do otherwise would be to minimise the appalling nature of Ossie’s behaviour.’ The BBC refused to comment.
‘Appalling nature of his behaviour’