A Texas grand jury has indicted Netflix for ‘promotion of lewd visual material depicting a child’. This is after the streaming company refused to take down a provocative French film, ‘Cuties’. The film was directed by French-Senegalese, Maïmouna Doucouré. In the film, an 11-year-old girl from a Muslim family, Amy, strains against her Islamic upbringing and finds comfort in a dance troupe.

The Guardian reports that the film has sparked anger since Netflix released it in September.

Ironically, Doucouré claims that the film, is a social commentary on the need to protect children, while critics have accused it of hypersexualising young girls. The Gurdian reports that Texas Senator Ted Cruz has been leading the campaign against the film. Cruz sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr, saying the film ‘sexualizes young girls, through dance scenes simulating sexual activities, including one scene exposing a minor’s chest.’ He called for an investigation into whether the creators of the film, and Netflix, had ‘violated any federal laws against the production and distribution of child pornography.’ The grand jury that indicted Netflix on September 23, said it had broadcasted lewd material in their state.

Democrat Tulsi Gabbard agreed that the film was unacceptable, accusing Netflix of being complicit in encouraging paedophilia and child trafficking, writing, ‘Netflix child porn ‘Cuties’ will certainly whet the appetite of paedophiles and help fuel the child sex trafficking trade. Netflix, you are now complicit. #CancelNetflix.’ Meanwhile, Republican candidate for Congress James P. Bradley said, amongst other, harsher criticism, “If you support Netflix making and airing #Cuties, you’re enabling abuse.’

Thousands of people had called for a boycott of Netflix on social media. According to the Guardian, the hashtag #CancelNetflix became the top trending topic on Twitter. Muslims everywhere expressed the perception that their religion was once again being attacked and undermined in the film.

Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that Netflix, incredibly, continues to defend the film as ‘a social commentary against the sexualization of young children.’

Umm Muhammed Umar