Is this REALLY appropriate midday viewing? Channel Seven airs shocking scenes of sexual violence in its afternoon movie
Channel Seven shocked viewers on Friday when it aired a distressing sexual assault scene during its midday movie.
In the film An Officer and a Murderer, a young mother is shown being viciously restrained and blindfolded on a bed by a male intruder.
The film is rated M, but as it was broadcast between 12pm and 3pm on a school day, it does not appear to breach the commercial television Code Of Practice.
Is this REALLY appropriate midday viewing? Channel Seven aired shocking scenes of sexual violence in its afternoon movie on Friday
In the confronting footage, a young woman puts her baby in her cot and goes to sleep on a bed nearby.
The intruder creeps into the room and pushes the woman’s face into a pillow. The terrified woman is told, ‘Don’t fight, do what I say!’ by the angry assailant.
He ties the woman up and blindfolds her, before filming himself lying next to her on the bed.
Horrifying: In the film An Officer and a Murderer, aired on Channel Seven on Friday, a young mother is shown being viciously restrained and blindfolded on a bed by a male intruder
The disturbing scene continues as the fully clothed man is shown cutting the woman’s pyjama bottoms off with a knife as she weeps.
The assailant then takes photos of the frightened woman – who is clad in her underwear – and threatens to kill her if she takes off her blindfold before he leaves.
The 2012 movie is based the true story of military officer Russell Williams, who was convicted of brutal crimes against women including rape, abduction and murder.
Confronting: The terrified woman is told, ‘Don’t fight, do what I say!’ by the angry assailant. He proceeds to tie her up and blindfold her, before filming himself lying next to her on the bed
The shocking portion of the M-rated film, starring Gary Cole as Williams, does not appear to breach the commercial television Code Of Practice guidelines.
With regards to violence in programs classified M, the code specifies: ‘Depictions of violence may be realistically shown only if they are not detailed or prolonged. Any depiction of or verbal reference to violence occurring in a sexual context must be infrequent and restrained, and strictly justified by the storyline or program context.’
With regards to sex, the code specifies: ‘Depictions of sexual activity may be implied or simulated in a restrained way. Verbal references to sexual activity may be more detailed than depictions if this does not increase the impact.’
Based on true events: In very distressing scenes, the fully clothed man is shown cutting the woman’s pyjama bottoms off with a knife as she weeps
Channel Seven has developed a reputation for showing often shocking, and in other cases raunchy, films during its midday timeslot.
Movies such as Seeds Of Yesterday, If There Be Thorns and Manson’s Lost Girls have raised eyebrows among viewers in recent months.
However, these broadcasts also do not appear to have breached the Code Of Practice’s guidelines.
Ordeal: The assailant then takes photos of the frightened woman – who is clad in her underwear – and threatens to kill her if she takes off her blindfold before he leaves