Germany to Toughen Penalties Against Child Pornography

Germany to Toughen Penalties Against Child Pornography
Advertisement
Germany is seeking to widen its definition of child pornography and jail people for up to three years for owning or trading photographs of naked children that are considered pornographic, according to a new draft law.

"The new rules will improve the protection of victims of sexual offences," said Justice Minister Heiko Maas, presenting the bill which was approved by the cabinet on Wednesday.

"Child pornography is sexual abuse. Children are not able to defend themselves against such violence and are traumatised," he said.

Until now, only images in which the child was in an "unnaturally sexual position" have been illegal in Germany but the new law would broaden the definition of what kind of naked poses are considered illegal pornography.

"No-one can make money out of children and adolescents' bodies," said Maas, adding that the bill does not mean parents can no longer take pictures of their own children at the beach.

Public debate and pressure for a tougher law were fuelled by news that prominent Social Democrat (SPD) lawmaker Sebastian Edathy was being investigated over pictures of naked children downloaded on his government laptop. The pictures were not illegal and Edathy has denied possessing child pornography.

The bill provides protection for people who are photographed against their will or without their knowledge in poses "which are likely to significantly harm the reputation of the person depicted" and which could be used in cyber-bullying. That will include people who are drunk or are victims of violent crime.

The draft law also targets 'cyber-grooming' the sexual grooming of children over the Internet.

© Thomson Reuters 2014

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Amazon Fire OS 4 'Sangria' Unveiled; Brings New UI, ASAP and More
Foxconn Struggles to Meet Increased iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Demand
Share on Facebook Gadgets360 Twitter Share Tweet Snapchat Share Reddit Comment google-newsGoogle News
 
 

Advertisement

Follow Us

Advertisement

© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »