ENGLAND — When the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill received Royal Assent on Thursday, two things happened: Possession of sexually violent images became a crime in the U.K., and Liz Longhurst ended her three-year campaign to make violent internet porn unavailable in England.Longhurst’s 31-year-old daughter, Jane, was strangled by Graham Coutts, 39, in June 2003. Coutts was sentenced to at least 26 years in prison, but not before he blamed his actions on an addiction to violent pornography he viewed online.
As a result, any consumer found in possession of images that depict necrophilia, bestiality or violence which is life threatening or likely to result in serious injury to the anus, breasts or genitals will face three years in jail.
The new rules don’t absolve producers of guilt in the production of such images. They still face sanctions under the 1959 Obscene Publications Act, but the internet has made enforcement of that law more difficult than it once was.
“The new law is not intended to target those who accidentally come into contact with obscene pornography, nor would it target the mainstream entertainment industry, which works within current obscenity laws, or those who sell bondage material legally available in the UK,” a Ministry of Justice spokesman told the BBC. “The material to be covered by the ban is already illegal to publish and distribute in the UK under the Obscene Publications Act 1959 but can be accessed in the UK from abroad via the internet. Legislating in this area will ensure that the possession of such material is illegal both on and off line.”
Opponents of the new law fear it may make criminals of ordinary citizens who use violent porn within consensual relationships. Longhurst remained firm in her resolve throughout her battle. She has said if Coutts had not had access to violent materials, her daughter might be alive today.
“Sometimes the freedoms of like-minded, decent people have to be curtailed because of a few others,” she told the BBC. “I know some would argue women choose to do this. But I believe a lot of women who have been trafficked are forced to be on these [web]sites.”
Reading West MP Martin Salter said Longhurst’s campaign only corrected a hole in the current law by criminalizing possession of the material, and the cause was popular with the public.
“This is the combination of a three-year campaign waged by Liz Longhurst and myself, which garnered the support of church groups, women’s organizations, 189 MPs, and generated 50,000 signatures on a national petition,” he told the BBC.
