The Metropolitan Police has called on potential victims of sexual assault linked to the reality television programme Married At First Sight UK to make contact with authorities. This follows allegations from two women who claimed they were raped by their onscreen husbands, alongside a third woman who reported incidents of sexual misconduct.
Details of the Allegations
One woman told the BBC's Panorama programme that her onscreen spouse raped her and issued threats. Another woman stated that she informed both Channel 4 and the production company CPL about being allegedly raped by her onscreen husband, yet her episodes were still broadcast.
Police Response
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “We are aware of media reporting relating to allegations of rape and sexual assault following the airing of a television programme on Monday, 18 May. At this time, we have not received any criminal reports in relation to this matter. We will be making approaches to the relevant production teams to ensure that anyone they have spoken to is aware of how to report any criminal allegations to police. We continue to encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, to get in touch with us.”
Channel 4's External Review
Shortly before the Panorama episode aired, Channel 4 announced it had commissioned an external review into contributor welfare last month. A statement from the broadcaster read: “In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied. The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations. Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time. Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary.”
