The Marsh family have taken down their new song about Gisèle Pelicot’s rape trial after critics accused them of being “remarkably tasteless”.

The married couple and their four children, who live in Faversham, this week released a parody of Paul Simon's 50 Ways To Leave Your Love with lyrics about the horrifying case in France.

The singing family - who shot to fame during the Covid pandemic with their songs about lockdowns - announced over social media that they had “hastily assembled” what they described as a “work of heart rather than of art'”.

But following a wave of criticism on social media, they have taken the song offline.

In a statement posted on X this afternoon, the Marsh family said: “The message we intended from the song - commending Gisèle Pelicot’s remarkable resilience and bravery in waiving anonymity, and utterly condemning those convicted - was not getting across, & we’ve taken it down.

“At no point was it being monetised. At no point was it intended to trivialise, or upset people.

“We’ve always covered difficult news stories / subjects (murders, war, gendered violence) in musical commentary, and don’t think anything should be off limits.

“But we’ve pulled this one, and will assess how we revisit.”

The Marsh family - Dr Ben Marsh, 48, his wife Danielle, 47, and their children Alfie, 18, Thomas, 16, Ella, 15, and Tess, 12 - had shared their new work with their followers this week.

The song, titled Legal Case That’s Like No Other, was released hours after Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison for orchestrating and committing the mass rape of his ex-wife Gisèle.

The case has been described as one of the most shocking in French legal history.

The Marsh family’s parody aimed to highlight the conclusion of the trial, with lyrics referencing the convicted men, including lines such as “Dom, you’re facing the can, man” and “Just pull up your pants, Vince.”

However, the tone and subject matter of the song quickly sparked a backlash online.

The family faced accusations of insensitivity and poor judgment.

Critics condemned the decision to parody such a serious case, calling the effort “disgusting” and “tone-deaf.”

The song had been viewed more than 307,000 times on X, with people saying it “misses the mark” and is “really really poor taste”.

Many simply said: “Please delete”.

Actor James Dreyfus, known for his role in The Thin Blue Line, also weighed in, calling the parody “remarkably tasteless and opportunistic.”

He added: “To use the horrific exploitation and abuse of Gisèle Pelicot and set it to the tune of 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover for clicks seems bafflingly tone-deaf to me.”