Academy refuses to withdraw Oscar nomination for film about killing of British toddler Jamie Bulger
- Murder by two 10-year-old boys who lured victim from a Liverpool shopping centre and tortured him to death, is one of Britain’s most notorious criminal cases
The body that hands out the Oscars on Friday refused to rescind the Academy Award nomination of a film about two boys who murdered a British toddler in 1993.
Detainment, a 30-minute film about the death of two-year-old James Bulger, made headlines in Britain after it was nominated for an Oscar on Tuesday in the short film category.
The case, in which two 10-year-old boys lured Bulger from a northern English shopping centre and tortured him to death, is one of Britain’s most notorious criminal cases. An online petition asking for the film to be withdrawn from Oscar contention has attracted more than 130,000 signatures and support from Bulger’s parents.
In its first comment on the controversy, the Academy said it was “deeply moved and saddened” by the loss endured by Bulger’s family but said the nomination would not be rescinded.
“The Academy does not in any way influence the voting process,” it said in a statement.