JULIE Hesmondhalgh has blasted television depictions of sexual assault.
The Broadchurch star – who has won rave reviews for her role as rape survivor Trish in the ITV mystery series – has hit out at the glorification of rape and how it appears to have become normalised in some television shows.
“I am absolutely sick of seeing – even on programmes I love – women being chased through woods by predators,” she said.
“Seeing dead women on slabs being cut to pieces after terrible acts of violence have been enacted on them. And I think that’s become so normal for us as viewers of television that we’ll even happily sit and watch that with our young teens.”
In the interview for Rape Crisis, Julie added: “The scale of sexual violence seems to me to be like an epidemic. Something is really, really going wrong in our society that it has been normalised to that degree. The numbers are so shockingly high.
“It affects something like 85,000 women in England and Wales and 12,000 men every year. It’s like four an hour. I think everybody will be staggered by those numbers.”
The actress starred alongside show regulars David Tennant and Olivia Coleman who reprise their roles as DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller in the third and final series.
Fans couldn’t hide their excitement for the show’s return and they were not left disappointed as the show kicked off with a harrowing introduction to Julie’s character Trish as she reported a horrific rape.
As the detectives tried to get information from the distressed mother about who her attacker could be, viewers praised the show for it’s handling of the sensitive topic and highlighted Julie’s sensational performance.
One wrote: “Gosh hooked already! Such superb acting to make you invested so soon. Bravo @juliehes #OliviaColeman and #DavidTennant. #Broadchurch”
Another gushed: “Julie Hesmondhalgh is absolutely killing it in this role. #broadchurch”
One first time viewer stated: “I’ve never watched #Broadchurch before, but that first 10 mins was so distressing too watch, world class acting by all..”
The praised continued to flood in as one Twitter user wrote: “That was one of the most harrowing starts to a drama that I can remember. #broadchurch @ITV”
Another added: “First 60 seconds of #Broadchurch and I already know this will be another stellar performance from the wonderful #JulieHesmondhalgh”
One wrote: “The acting from Julie Hesmondhalgh #Broadchurch”
Another wrote: “Less than 10 minutes into the new season of #Broadchurch and it’s already tearing me up inside.”
The acting from Julie Hesmondhalgh
#Broadchurch
— MJH
(@milliejane22) February 27, 2017
(@milliejane22) While other specifically praised the show’s coverage of the topic with one viewer tweeting: “Feel like they’ve handled a sensitive subject really well, I’m in tears already #broadchurch”
Another agreed: “Wow what a start superb acting from #JulieHesmondhalgh on a sensitive subject. This series is going to be be good I can tell #broadchurch”
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