Adult children and childporn Harry Potter?

A new EU-Directive would criminalize adult pornography, art and coming-of-age movies. German-speaking sexology now alerts politicians and the public. The European Commission's proposal for a "Directive on Combating Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of Children" not only provides for the blocking of internet-sites but also obliges all 27 member-states to criminalise erotic depictions of adults. Not only pornography is banned but any kind of sexually connotated pictures, making no exception for arts or science. Movies like "The Tin Drum" or common coming-of-age movies like "American Pie", even the new Harry-Potter movie, could be criminalised.

Even mere private possession of such films will be sanctioned and everybody will be obliged to report such "crimes". These absurd measures endanger effective combat of real child-pornography by flooding law enforcement agencies with useless criminalisation of acts which have nothing to do with child pornography, wasting resources instead of concentrating them on real child pornography.

The German speaking sexological associations now alert the public with a joint declaration. With their declaration sent to all MEPs, to the Commission and to the Council the German Society for Sexual Research (DGfS), the German Society for Sex Education (DGG), the German Society for Sexual Medicine and Sexual Therapy (DGSMT), the Society for Sexology (GSW), the German Society for Socio-Scientific Sexual Research (DGSS) and the Austrian Society for Sexual Research (ÖGS) appeal to delete from the directive such absurd censorship which even exceeds U.S.-legislation of this kind and at the same time endangers the fight against real child-pornography.

The full text of the declaration can be found on the websites of the signing associations. More information: Dr. Helmut Graupner, Co-President, Austrian Society of Sexual Research (ÖGS), www.oegs.or.at

source: 'Adult Children and Childporn Harry Potter?'; www.oegs.or.at; March 2011