'Vile and dangerous' strangulation pornography to be banned

Strangulation pornography will be banned following a review which found such images have helped to establish it as a sexual norm.

The possession and publication of images depicting strangulation and suffocation will be criminalised under the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently making its way through parliament.

Non-fatal strangulation is already an offence in its own right, but it is not currently illegal to show it online.

Conservative peer Baroness Bertin warned earlier this year that there has been a "total absence of government scrutiny" of the pornography industry.

Her independent review, published in February, referred to worrying anecdotal evidence from teachers about students asking how to choke girls during sex.

People acting out choking in their sex lives "may face devastating consequences", she said in the review.

On Monday, the government confirmed it was putting forward amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which is due to come back before peers in the House of Lords for further scrutiny next week.

As well as making strangulation or suffocation in pornography illegal, duties will be placed on online platforms to stop the spread of such images, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

Another amendment will extend the time limit for victims of intimate image abuse, which can include so-called "revenge porn", to come forward to report such crimes.

Currently, victims have six months to do so, but this will be extended to three years.

Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones said the government "will not stand by while women are violated online and victimised by violent pornography which is allowed to normalise harm".

She added: "We are sending a strong message that dangerous and sexist behaviour will not be tolerated."

Of strangulation pornography, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: "Viewing and sharing this kind of material online is not only deeply distressing, it is vile and dangerous. Those who post or promote such content are contributing to a culture of violence and abuse that has no place in our society.

"We're also holding tech companies to account and making sure they stop this content before it can spread. We are determined to make sure women and girls can go online without fear of violence or exploitation."

The government said if the amendments were accepted, possession or publication of strangulation or suffocation in pornography would become a priority offence under the Online Safety Act.

Technology firms would be legally required to take steps to stop such violent content reaching internet users, rather than simply waiting for it to be reported.

The government suggested this could be done through moderation tools, stricter content policies or automated systems being used to detect and hide images.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) welcomed the planned changes, but said they must "mark the beginning of broader reform to ensure parity between online and offline content standards".

Its chief executive David Austin said: "Harmful depictions of non-consensual, violent and abusive activity continue to be readily accessible to UK users."

The BBFC said it stands ready to take on "the formal role of auditing online pornography", which would be "a natural extension of the role we have carried out offline for decades".

Bernie Ryan, chief executive of the Institute For Addressing Strangulation, welcomed the proposed ban, saying the "serious risks posed by unregulated online content, especially to children and young people" must be recognised.

She added: "Strangulation is a serious form of violence, often used in domestic abuse to control, silence or terrify.

"When it's portrayed in pornography, particularly without context, it can send confusing and harmful messages to young people about what is normal or acceptable in intimate relationships. Our research shows there is no safe way to strangle."

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