WCC flags attempt to compromise privacy of women who testified before Hema committee

WCC has warned Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over what it calls an attempt to reveal the identities and compromise the privacy of women artists and technicians who testified before the Hema committee.

Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an advocacy group that advocates for women’s rights and gender equality in the entertainment industry, has warned Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over what it calls an attempt to reveal the identities and compromise the privacy of women artistes and technicians who testified before the K. Hema Commission, which documented dozens of cases of alleged widespread sexual exploitation and abuse in the Malayalam film industry.

In a Facebook post on Monday (September 16, 2024), the WCC slammed a Malayalam television news channel for allegedly conducting a trial by the media based on carefully curated information, innuendo and innuendo. The WCC feared that this information could potentially reveal the identities of the survivors who testified before the commission despite personal and professional setbacks.

The WCC said the “irresponsible reporting” had caused women serious distress and fear. It accused the news outlet of causing more grief to survivors while positioning itself as a protector of their rights.

The WCC pointed out that the uncensored report, including the highly confidential annexes and addenda, was now in the possession of the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The WCC feared that some people who were aware of the report could be the source of the scandalous media leaks. It requested Mr Vijayan’s urgent intervention.

The government had set up the SIT, comprising four women IPS officers, to investigate alleged cases of rape and sexual abuse in the film industry. The cases came to light in mainstream and social media soon after a redacted version of the commission’s damning 2019 report hit the public domain last month.

Subsequently, the Kerala High Court, which had reviewed the Hema Commission report, directed the SIT to investigate the findings.

The court also asked interested parties, including the state and the media, to refrain from any action that could reveal the identities of those who appeared before the commission.

Last week, some WCC members met Mr Vijayan personally at his office in the government secretariat and requested the state to protect the identities of the women who appeared before the commission.