Yahoo Finance The Crown production company denies accusations of mishandling sexual assault case
Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind shows such as Behind Her Eyes, Quiz and The Crown, has denied accusations it mishandled a sexual assault complaint made by two of its former workers.
According to an exposé published in The Guardian on Monday (June 21), freelancers Holly Bourdillon and Laura Johnston were working on the post-production edit for Netflix's White Lines in December 2019 when Bourdillon was sexually assaulted and Johnston was physically assaulted by executive producer Chris Croucher.
Bourdillion raised the issue later that same month, speaking out against Croucher's conduct in an email to his superiors which described that he had "groped and forcibly kissed" her before "chasing her around the office space while masturbating."
Croucher, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2020, pleaded guilty to sexual and common assault in January 2021 and was sentenced to three months' curfew and a five-year community order.
"The whole reason I went and told his boss is because I didn’t want it to happen again. I didn’t want it to happen to other people," Bourdillon told The Guardian as she and Johnston criticised Left Bank for its sympathetic approach to Croucher in light of their claims.
The pair explained that they found a meeting held by CEO Andy Harries and COO Grace Wilson in January 2020 – along with two other anonymous members of staff – particularly distressing as they were told the organisation had a "duty of care" to Croucher.
"Andy starts the meeting by saying that Chris was an amazing producer," Bourdillon recalled, as Johnston added: "It was a horrific atmosphere."
Related: Noel Clarke suspended by BAFTA following sexual misconduct allegations
The twosome also stated that Wilson urged them to regard the incident as "a lesson about drinking with colleagues after work." Left Bank and Sony strongly deny such comments ever being made.
The Guardian's report goes on to say that a spokesperson for Left Bank described the accusations regarding the company's handling of the matter are "inaccurate" and "completely mischaracterise the seriousness with which Left Bank Pictures took the complaint from the outset."
Bourdillon and Johnston, who were offered therapy sessions by the agency, also called out the fact that Croucher was supposedly allowed to resign with notice following an investigation into his "inappropriate behaviour" and the company's subsequent refusal to explain why to staffers, which they found anxiety-inducing as it led many people to continually ask them about Croucher's well-being.
"We have looked into and discussed internally what would be deemed acceptable to explain the reason for Chris leaving, taking into account what we discussed yesterday," an email from Wilson from the time allegedly read.
“We agree with you that we do not need to say he has resigned but instead can say that he has left and/or is no longer working on the production and there does not need to be a further explanation for his leaving.
"If asked, we can say that we cannot comment further as to the reasons, but we would not go beyond that to refer to conduct or inappropriate behaviour. I know that this might not be satisfactory, or what you wanted to hear."
It is believed that Left Bank formally terminated Croucher's contract after Bourdillon reported the assaults to the police in February 2020.
Related: The Crown's Gillian Anderson weighs in on Netflix controversy
"[Left Bank was] saddened to hear that Ms Bourdillon and Ms Johnston did not feel sufficiently supported by the company throughout this process, as the wellbeing of all our staff is of paramount importance to us," a statement via The Guardian said.
"The welfare of both women was a priority for all those from the outset. However, these claims about the handling of this matter are inaccurate and completely mischaracterise the seriousness with which Left Bank Pictures took the complaint from the outset, as well as the great lengths the company went to in supporting the victims throughout."
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, who work towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
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