The BBC has released a statement hitting back at complaints from viewers, after a recent episode of Silent Witness sparked huge backlash.
The new series of the acclaimed crime drama continued on Monday, with Lace Akpojaro and Jude Cudjoe reprising their roles as Roy and Leo.
In the episode, the first of a two-part story, Roy confronted his nephew Leo after he was spotted speaking to a concerned family member.
Roy asked Leo: ‘Who’s whitey?’ and his nephew replied: ‘Kevin. He’s my aunt’s friend. He likes to think he’s looking after me.’
The slur left many viewers outraged and they took to social media to question BBC bosses’ decisions to include it in the episode.
The BBC has released a statement hitting back at complaints from viewers, after a recent episode of Silent Witness sparked huge backlash
In the episode, the first of a two-part story, Roy confronted his nephew Leo after he was spotted speaking to a concerned family member
However, fans were left outraged that the character used the word ‘whitey’ during the scene and flocked to social media to slam the show.
One tweeted: ‘Is that not deemed racist? I would personally not say the equivalent to a person of colour as I feel that would be racist towards them.’
A second wrote: ‘BBC why do you think it was right for a black person to call a white person ‘whitey’ in last night’s programme.’
‘How flipping tiresome is the one-way racism on these woke programmes?’ posted a third.
A fourth commented: ‘@Ofcom I think you should investigate the use of ‘whitey’ as it’s truly racist and I find it totally unacceptable?’
The BBC has now released a statement with their stance on the matter, saying: ‘Silent Witness is an established fictional drama series set in the modern world.
‘The dialogue used was in keeping with this character who is not depicted in a sympathetic light.
‘Roy Lock is an antagonist who uses threats and intimidation. He has convictions for Class A drugs, theft by menace, trafficking, GBH and has spent nine years in prison.’
Roy asked Leo: ‘Who’s whitey?’ and his nephew replied: ‘Kevin. He’s my aunt’s friend. He likes to think he’s looking after me’
The slur left many viewers outraged and they took to social media to question BBC bosses’ decisions to include it in the episode
Silent Witness is no stranger to controversy, with one awkwardly-timed episode seeing the show’s killers attempt to murder their victims using a lethal gas in a scene similar to the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith.
The plot of the episode saw university professor accused of murdering some of his ‘woke’ critics after claiming he was passed over for a promotion for his ‘triggering’ comments.
But in a dramatic twist it emerges that two of the professor’s acolytes are behind the murders and later kidnap two other students who they believe are trying to get him fired from the university.
The killers then tie them both to chairs before placing a gas mask, which is attached to a supply of nitrous oxide, around one of the women’s heads in order to suffocate her to death.
He then turns on the valve, releasing the gas, before putting another mask over the second woman. But seconds later the show’s protagonist Dr Nikki Alexander and her colleague Jack Hodgson burst into the room, putting an end to their evil plot.
The scene draws shocking parallels to the real life execution of convicted killer Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was put to death on Thursday using nitrogen hypoxia for the first time in history.
The 58-year-old had a firefighters-style mask placed over his face as he was strapped to a gurney inside an execution chamber at the William C. Holman prison in Atmore, Alabama.
Smith was 22-years-old when he was first arrested for the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Sennett.
He was sentenced to death in 1996 after admitting the murder-for-hire killing of the pastor’s wife who was beaten and stabbed.
Silent Witness is no stranger to controversy, with one episode seeing the killers attempt to murder victims using a lethal gas in a scene similar to the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith
The scene draws shocking parallels to the real life execution of convicted killer Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was put to death on Thursday using nitrogen hypoxia
Experts had said he would be unconscious within seconds of inhaling the gas – but it took up to seven minutes for him to pass out and another 15 for him to be declared dead.
After the gas began to flow into his mask at 7.53pm, the inmate smiled, nodded toward his family and signed ‘I love you’.
Smith made a heart sign with his left hand to his wife Deanna before declaring: ‘Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards… I’m leaving with love, peace and light.’
But soon Smith was wrenching against the straps, gasping, panting loudly and also trying to hold his breath to try to avoid inhaling the nitrogen through a mask covering his entire face.
No doctor was present in the chamber but one arrived at the end to declare him dead at a 8.16pm – just over 22 minutes after the execution began.
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