Parents of children with cleft lip and palate are being warned to prepare for the release of upcoming Disney movie - The Lone Ranger.
The villain of the movie has a recognisable cleft lip scar and is described negatively in the film's marketing documents.
Disney describes the villain of the movie whose facial scar is recognisable as resulting from Cleft Lip as “a ruthless outlaw whose terribly scarred face is a perfect reflection of the bottomless pit that passes for his soul.”
The Cleft Lip and Palate Association of Ireland says the deliberate negative association of a cleft is extremely offensive to people living with the condition and their family and friends.
The group says the association of a cleft lip with evil may lead to bullying, mocking and an expectation that children with a cleft should be the bad guys in playground games.
