After days of intense pressure, the World Press Photo has stripped Giovanni Troilo of first prize in the 'Contemporary Issues – Stories' category, after it was revealed he misrepresented the location of one of his photos.
The latest in a long line of controversies for the World Press Photo this year, the image in question was shot outside Brussels, Belgium, 60km away from the town of Charleroi, Belgium, the place Troilo said he was documenting in his series, 'La Ville Noir – The Dark Heart of Europe'.
A statement from the World Press Photo said, "Troilo confirmed over telephone and email that the image had not been taken in Charleroi, contrary to what he submitted to the contest. This falsified information is a violation of the 2015 Photo Contest entry rules. In accordance with the judging procedures, which state that a single image or story/portfolio that has been awarded a prize will be disqualified if proven to be not in compliance with the entry rules, World Press Photo has made the decision to disqualify the story."
Troilo's photos have been the subject of criticism for several weeks, with Charleroi officials alleging the series was a "serious distortion of reality". He also drew fire for using his cousin as a model in a photo of a couple having sex in a car. Further angering his critics, Troilo used a remote control flash inside the vehicle to illuminate the scene. The photographer disagreed with critics who said the photo had been staged.
"I’m very sad," Mr. Troilo told the NY Times. He said the World Press Photo rewrote his original photo captions, and he said he thought the organisation had been looking for "an exit strategy."
"It seems a big injustice," he said.
This image, partly illuminated by a remote flash inside the car, purports to show Troilo's cousin "fornicating with a girl in a friend's car". It has been widely criticised as being 'staged'. Photo: Giovanni Troilo.
