"This is material which is extremely offensive to the vast
majority of people, and it should have no place in our society,”
said Home Office Minister Paul Goggins. “The fact that it is
available over the internet should in no way legitimise it. These
forms of violent and abusive pornography go far beyond what we
allow to be shown in films or even sold in licensed sex shops in
the UK, so they should not be available online either.”
Proposed law
The suggested ban would take the form of a new, free standing
offence restricted to explicit pornography containing actual scenes
or realistic depictions of:
- intercourse or oral sex with an animal;
- sexual interference with a human corpse;
- serious violence in a sexual context; or
- serious sexual violence.
According to the consultation paper, "serious violence" will
involve or will appear to involve serious bodily harm in a context
or setting which is sexual – for example, images of suffocation or
hanging with sexual references in the way the scenes are presented.
"Serious sexual violence" will involve or will appear to involve
serious bodily harm where the violence is sexual.
The maximum sentence suggested is three years' imprisonment for
possession, although other options are presented in the
consultation paper. The current maximum penalty for publication may
be increased from three to five years to maintain a
distinction.
Current law in England and Wales
Extreme adult websites may be illegal under the Obscene
Publications Act 1959 and 1964:
“for the purposes of this Act an article
shall be deemed to be obscene if its effect, or (where the article
comprises two or more distinct items) the effect of any one of its
items is, if taken as a whole, such as to tend to deprave and
corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant
circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or
embodied in it.”
Publishing such an article or possessing it "for gain" carries a
maximum sentence of three years. Possession alone is not an
offence, unless a child (a person under 18) features in the
offending material (in which case the maximum penalty is five years
for possession and ten years if there is also publication or
distribution).
Current law in Scotland
The Civic Government (Scotland) Act of 1982 makes it an offence
to display obscene material or to have it with a view to its
eventual sale. There is a three year maximum sentence. The term
"obscene" is not defined; but the common law test to apply is
whether the material is calculated to deprave and corrupt persons
open to depraving or corrupting influences. Again, possession alone
only becomes an offence if an under-18 is featured and the maximum
penalties are as in England and Wales.
Overseas
The majority of western countries have controls based on
distribution of material deemed to be obscene by the courts,
similar to the current UK laws. Others have controls aimed solely
at preventing children from seeing potentially corrupting material.
However, the consultation paper notes: "We are not aware of any
western jurisdiction which prohibits simple possession of extreme
material."
Exceptions and defences under the new offence
Text or cartoons that depict the offending activities would not
be banned, according to the consultation paper. It is also to be
limited to explicit pornographic material "produced solely or
primarily for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification." The
consultation notes: "It is not the intention to impinge on the
freedom of the media in respect of news coverage, or of analysis or
documentary footage or real events, including atrocities committed
in other countries."
Finally, defences would be included to protect those whose
exposure to the material was accidental and those who had a
legitimate reason for possessing it, such as the prosecuting
authorities.
The Jane Longhurst Campaign
The consultation follows a meeting earlier this year between
Home Secretary Charles Clarke and Liz Longhurst, who started a
petition for legal reforms to ban violent internet porn after the
brutal murder of her daughter.
Thirty-one year-old Jane Longhurst, a special needs teacher, was
raped and strangled with a pair of tights by a male acquaintance in
2003. Graham Coutts, an amateur musician, attacked her just hours
after surfing the web to feed his apparent obsession with
necrophilia and asphyxial sex. Coutts stored her naked body for 35
days before trying to burn it in woods. He was convicted in
February 2004 and sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison.
Liz Longhurst welcomed the Home Office announcement.
“Over the last eighteen months I have worked hard to change the
climate of public opinion through the Jane Longhurst Campaign by
raising public awareness of the issue,” she said. "With the help of
many friends, including MPs Martin Salter and David Lepper, we have
lobbied the Government and collected over 35,000 signatures for our
petition and I am hopeful of reaching a target of 100,000
signatures by Spring 2006.”
Comments on the proposals are sought by both the Home Office and
the Scottish Executive’s Ministry for Justice by 2nd December.
