Collien Fernandes speaks as an expert in the state parliament about digital violence

Unusual role for actress Collien Fernandes: On October 1st, she is scheduled to speak to MPs as an expert in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament. The topic of the hearing is digital violence and so-called deepfakes on the internet.

Fernandes has been making public accusations against her ex-husband Christian Ulmen for some time, which were first reported by “Spiegel”. In addition to physical assault, she also accuses him of creating fake profiles in her name and using them to distribute pornographic images. Her allegations sparked a broad debate about sexual violence online and demonstrations in several German cities.

Fernandes comes to the state parliament at the invitation of the SPD. Parliamentary group leader Jochen Ott told the dpa news agency: “We all know by now: digital violence is the plague of the 21st century. Women, children and young people as well as queer people are particularly often affected - especially if they are in the digital public. “That’s why we have to talk about how we can prevent digital violence, combat it consistently and better protect those affected.”

In addition to Fernandes, representatives from the State Media Authority, the organization “Hate Aid” and the North Rhine-Westphalian cybercrime public prosecutor’s office are expected to attend the expert hearing.