Actor On TV AD Against Domestic Violence Convicted Of Beating His Ex

In the acting business we often talk about type-casting, which is anathema to an actor who takes his/her career seriously. No-one wants to be typed as a ditsy blonde, or a black drug addict, or an Hispanic gardener, but it happens all the time. But you don't have to be a murderer to play one on TV. So it's just very ironic when someone is cast in a role without the people doing the casting knowing that the actor is guilty of what they have cast him/her as.

domestic abuse ad K4C6y 16105

46-year-old actor, Omar Rashid, shot a public service ad produced by the government to promote awareness of domestic violence against women. Little did anyone involved in the production know that Omar actually is an abuser of women. Convicted last October of assaulting his former girlfriend outside a pub, he received a 20-week suspended jail sentence, must wear an electronic tagging device, has a curfew, and had to pay £150 in compensatory damages. It wasn't until a friend of the ex-girlfriend saw the ad that it was revealed that an abuser was playing the part of an abuser.

A friend of his victim said last night: "It's appalling that Criminal Records Bureau checks were not carried out on all the men who appeared in the advert, given the sensitive nature of the subject. It's sickening."

The £100,000 TV campaign, called One Step Too Far, was made for a video company contracted to the Central Office of Information (COI) on behalf of the Welsh Assembly.

Rashid Omar played a leering white van man jeering at a woman waiting at a bus stop.

It has been shown on BBC and ITV in Wales. In the ad, male viewers are told: "To you it's nothing, but it all adds up. Where does 'harmless' end and 'abusive' begin?"

Welsh Assembly Social Justice Minister Carl Sargeant said the advert's intention was to "stamp out unacceptable behaviour towards women before it leads to more violent forms of abuse".

Welsh women's groups have complained about the fact that a man convicted of domestic violence would be hired to play an abuser, but the casting was done by the production company, and how were they to know.

The Welsh Assembly said: "It is regrettable the actor chose not to disclose his conviction.

"It does serve as a reminder that abusers are in all walks of life."

Omar said: "I wanted to plead not guilty but was convicted in my absence because of a mix-up. I'm trying to get on with my life. I agree that it's wrong to abuse women."

Not guilty? Right.

The ad was removed from the website of the Welsh Assembly. But as they say, domestic abuse does occur in all walks of life, and far too often. But, of course, more often than not these people need help with anger management, not just to be told there's a short step from "harmless" to "abusive". They need to learn coping techniques. Hopefully, Omar will get some help.

One Step Too Far - Advert from SmokingGunPR on Vimeo.