Luxembourg calls on Amazon to remove offensive products

MDAC is pleased that the Government of Luxembourg has decided to contact Amazon regarding it offering for sale products which are offensive to people with mental health issues. You can read the response by clicking HERE.

However, despite the intervention of the Government of Luxembourg, Amazon has continued selling fancy dress costumes and decorations advertised as ‘Mental Patient’, ‘Killer Psycho Sideshow Clown Halloween Costume’ and ‘Psycho Mother’s Dress’. The products are deeply offensive to people with psycho-social (mental health) disabilities. They perpetuate stereotypes, and make an unacceptable link between people with mental health issues and acts of violence. Such products support the exclusion of people with mental health issues from society and seemingly justify the use of inhuman restraints such as ‘straight jackets’.

You can read more about the issue in this blog post from our Executive Director, Oliver Lewis.

Amazon's Babbling Psyscho Sam

In October, MDAC sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, where Amazon is registered, asking the government to respond. Luxembourg is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Under the Convention, Article 4 requires Luxembourg to “take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability by any person, organisation or private enterprise” such as Amazon.

Article 8 adds that Luxembourg must "combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices relating to persons with disabilties", through the adoption of "immediate, effective and appropriate measures."

The Minister for Family Affairs and Integration, Corinne Cahen, has now responded, informing MDAC that she has addressed an official letter to Amazon. The letter urges Amazon to “make use of their right to control and delete any content that can be found on their websites that violates the fundamental rights of any group of persons…especially those of persons with disabilities.”

This is a positive step from the government that MDAC welcomes. However, Amazon continues to market and sell the offensive products. MDAC requires your support to call for an end to the sale of such items.

You can support this cause by:

                 ·   Writing a letter to Corrine Cahen urging her to follow up her initial letter to Amazon. The address is; Ministère de la Famille et de l'intégration, 12-14 Avenue Emile Reuter, L-2420, Luxembourg

                 ·   Tweeting: @CorinneCahen stop @Amazon selling costumes offensive to ppl w mental health issues http://amzn.to/1mIS3gn #offensive #mental #disability

                 ·   Tweeting @Amazon, this - http://amzn.to/1mIS3gn - is highly offensive to ppl w mental health issues. A #disgrace from #Amazon #offensive @mdacintl