Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce has had her title revoked over “offensive and harmful” social media content.
According to the BBC, a photo of Dzafce went viral in which she was pulling the corners of her eyes. She had captioned the image ‘eating with a Chinese’.
In a statement, the Miss Finland Organisation said the content published on Dzafce’s social media was “offensive, harmful, and completely against the values of the Miss Finland competition”.
“We are deeply sorry for the harm these events have caused. Especially to the Asian community, but also to everyone affected. Racism is never acceptable in any form.
“We have handled this situation carefully, responsibly, and without rushing into decisions. We have consulted experts and assessed the entire chain of events thoroughly.
“In accordance with our values, we met with Miss Finland Sarah this morning, immediately after her return to Finland, to address the matter face-to-face.
“For clarity, we would like to state once more that we waited for her return specifically so that the matter could be evaluated in person.
“Following this thorough consideration, we have made a difficult but necessary decision: The title of Miss Finland held by Sarah Dzafce has been revoked as of today.”
In a statement on her own Instagram account, Sarah Dzafce said she was deeply sorry for her actions.
“The title of Miss Finland is not only a crown for me, but also a responsibility. Responsibility for how I speak, how I act and how my actions can affect people. I know that I still have a lot to grow,” she said.
“One of the most important things for me is respect for people, backgrounds and for diversity. What means to me is that everyone can be themselves and be treated with dignity. I take responsibility for my actions and will learn from this.
“In the future, I want to show more with actions than words what kind of Miss Finland I am. A Miss Finland that unites, listens and meets people warmly. I will learn from this and promise to grow.”
The Miss Finland Organisation said it stands with both former Miss Finland/Miss Universe Finland Sarah Dzafce and current Miss Finland Tara Lehtonen.
“Both are part of the Miss Finland community and deserve respect. Miss Finland operates on clear values. Respect and human dignity apply to everyone. We expect respectful and appropriate public discourse from all parties.”