The public and employees of the capital’s Young Theatre have made an open statement regarding alleged sexual harassment committed by the director and head of the theatre, Andriy Bilous. This event occurred during the performance of «Dangerous Liaisons» on Thursday, May 8, when the artists addressed the audience with a loud speech.
This is reported by Київ24
Accusations and Revelations on Stage
According to the actors, during the performance, they publicly announced that
“Right now, you have watched a performance that vividly illustrates what is happening in the theatre, where the main character is Andriy Bilous. Right now, in this hall, there are three girls who testify to sexual violence by Andriy Bilous. In our assessment, more than 80% of the female employees in our theatre under the age of 40 have suffered in one form or another from sexual harassment by Bilous. Yet despite this, he continues to hold his position.” – reported one of the actresses.
The theatre collective emphasized that criminal proceedings have been opened against Bilous, who also teaches at the Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television named after Karpenko-Kary, under Article 153 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which pertains to sexual violence. Two of the victims were minors at the time of the crime.
Call to Society and Fight for Justice
The actors urged the public not to remain silent and not to allow the city authorities to cover up this issue. They demand a fair investigation and accountability for the individual who, according to them, abused their official position and committed harassment. They emphasize the importance of supporting the victims and fighting against manifestations of violence in the cultural sphere.