The UK Government has announced a landmark move to criminalise the depiction of strangulation in pornography, as part of its broader strategy to protect women and girls from gender-based violence.
The ban, to be enacted through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, follows the government’s acceptance in principle of a key recommendation from the Independent Porn Review led by Baroness Gabby Bertin.
The review warned that pornography and other media have “effectively established strangulation during sex as a ‘sexual norm’”, and perpetuated “a belief that strangling a partner during sex is ‘safe’ because it is believed to be non-fatal”, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
This was obtained from a UK government press release today titled, “Strangulation in pornography to be made illegal.”
In the release issued by the Ministry of Justice and Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones MP, the government stated: “Depicting strangulation during sex is not only dangerous, but also degrading, with real life consequences for women.
“Cracking down on the appalling rise of strangulation pornography will protect women and send a clear signal to men and boys that misogyny will not be tolerated.”
The decision is part of the Government’s Plan for Change, which includes a pledge to halve violence against women and girls.
The move comes after sustained advocacy from campaigners including Jessica Asato, and is seen as a critical step toward curbing the “growing epidemic of violence against women and girls” driven in part by online content.
Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), welcomed the move: “We welcome the government’s decision to criminalise the depiction of strangulation in pornography, a move that reflects years of campaigning by EVAW and other experts who have long warned about the normalisation of violence against women and girls in online content.
“There is no such thing as safe strangulation; women cannot consent to the long-term harm it can cause, including impaired cognitive functioning and memory.
“Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people.
“This is a vital step towards recognising the role violent pornography plays in shaping attitudes to women and regulating an industry which promotes and profits from violence against women.”
According to the release, the forthcoming amendment will build on existing protections under the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which already criminalise the possession of extreme pornographic content depicting life-threatening acts.
Further details of the amendment will be announced in due course, the statement concluded.
