Faced with the success of “true crimes”, fictions inspired by real cases, some streaming platforms no longer hesitate to deal with very recent cases, with serious consequences for the victims. In Spain, a mother whose child was murdered publicly denounces the excesses of the genre.
“True crimes”, fictions and documentaries “based on a true story”, have been a hit for several years. The global giant Netflix has even made them its specialty. “It’s a genre that appeals to our impulses, to our dark side. We want to discover what can lead to killing”, analyzes Thursday in the 7:30 p.m. news on RTS Jorge Ortiz, producer at Movistar Plus+, a Spanish streaming platform.
Many of these series are filmed in Madrid, as Spain is now the leading European creator for platforms. “But at Movistar we didn’t want to jump into the race and deal with just any business,” says Jorge Ortiz. “We wanted to find good directors and, above all, the best way to approach a genre that can be particularly sensitive.”
Real consequences
The trend of “true crimes” can indeed have very real consequences, with some producers not hesitating to take on cases that took place in the recent past. The impact on the victims’ families, forced to relive the drama, can be enormous.
Patricia Ramirez, who lost her son six years ago, has paid the price. After little Gabriel was murdered by his father’s partner in 2018, Patricia discovered that a producer had interviewed the murderer in prison, for a fee.
“I’m afraid to leave my house, that the talk shows will pick up my story again and ask themselves whether my son’s murderer is a liar or not, that they’ll start a media trial again, when she’s already been judged,” says Patricia Ramirez.
“Avoid any revictimization”
The Spaniard explains that she was forced to break her silence to “defend [ses] values and memory of [son] son”. She has launched a fight for victims exposed to “true crimes”.
“Victims must have access to free justice and it must not be up to us to take legal action if there is abuse,” she argued before the Spanish Senate. “Prosecutors must act as quickly as possible to avoid revictimization.”
All parties support the idea of a national pact for victims. As for the project of a series on little Gabriel, it was finally abandoned.
>> Details from Antoine Droux in the 7:30 p.m. news:
Marie Bolinches/edel
