Disney Princesses Used in Sexual Assault Awareness Posters
An artist who goes by the pseudonym Saint Hoax has released a series of shocking images that depict well-recognized Disney princesses kissing their animated fathers.
According to a message on the artist’s website, the series of illustrations — titled Princest Diaries — is part of “an awareness campaign targeting minors who have been subject to sexual abuse by a family member. The aim of the poster series is to encourage victims to report their cases in order for the authorities to prevent it from happening again.”
Aladdin’s Princess Jasmine, The Little Mermaid’s Ariel, and Sleeping Beauty are all portrayed as victims in these visual scenarios, and are each seen withstanding an inappropriate — and illegal — advance from their respective on-screen fathers.
Saint Hoax told Yahoo Movies via email that hearing of her friend’s case of abuse inspired her to take action: “I recently learned that one of my closest friends was molested by her father when she was seven,“ the artist wrote. "It took her 14 years to be able to share that traumatizing experience. That story shocked me to my core. … I used Disney princesses because it’s a visual language that my targeted audience would be attracted to.”
Underneath each image appears the alarming statistic that 46 percent of victims under the age of 12 were assaulted by a family member. That number comes from a 1992 Department of Justice report though Time points to more recent numbers that put the percentage at 34.2 percent (while 58.7 percent of sexual attacks on minors are by an acquaintance).
Disney has not publicly endorsed these images.
Image credits: Saint Hoax
