Poem 20th of
February 1995
The cry of pain
lonely fades out
through millenia
Who was it that screamed?
Was it you, was it me?
Or is this cry
the total agony
of all of us?
The cry of terror when we
together were
deprived of our right
to wander through our world
proud and erect
When we realised that our
sacrifices only led
our footsteps to eternal damnation
under a male sceptre
Ewa Höglin
To
really do something
about child pornography one has to work on all fields at the same
time. Legislation is one of them.
A law against child pornography must
• protect the children in
the pictures, both in Sweden and abroad, through a ban on possession
as well as distribution of the documentations,
• protect children from
having to watch pornography,
• prevent, by making sure
that no more children are subjected to the abuse that child pornography
encourages.
The filming itself of sexual abuse
must be regarded as a sexual offence and fall under the sex crime
legislation. Possession and distribution – import and export
included – must be prohibited as child pornography crime.
The act must have an age limit and
it must be according to the UN's child convention: 18 years. Child
pornography is a crime against children's human rights.
Collecting
and Exchanging Knowledge
Today there is knowledge about child pornography and child sexual
abuse among many individuals in different professions. But the majority
lack this knowledge. It is incredibly important now to collect the
experience that there is, and to pass it on. Today we must also
learn more about how new technology affects child pornography and
its circulation.
It is also important to disclose the
myth that child pornography is a small, isolated problem which is
mostly to do with a small number of sick men. Child pornography,
just like child prostitution, must be analysed in its societal context.
International cooperation is necessary,
both on the governmental level and between the occupational groups
concerned. Police and customs also have to develop their international
cooperation.
Education & Information
All occupational groups which come in contact with this complex
of problems must get education about pornography and child sexual
abuse. This applies to the police, for example, who should prioritise
these crimes.
In the debate it is often said that
cases of suspected sexual abuse are so difficult, because word stands
against word. Few realise the self-evident: this problem would diminish
if more perpetrators confessed. An increased frequency of confessions
among the perpetrators is achieved through better methods of interrogation,
among other things.
In cases of suspected child sexual
abuse, the alleged perpetrator's house should always be searched.
The police must learn where to look for child pornography. The more
we look for child pornography, the more we find, say police officers
who work with child sexual abuse.
The legal professions must also get
education; lay assessors, judges, prosecutors and lawyers.
Other professional groups which of
course should have more knowledge about child pornography and child
sexual abuse are social workers, nursery school workers, youth centre
workers, gynaecologists, midwives and other staff at youth clinics,
school nurses, medical service staff in general and many, many more.
Knowledge
in Schools
Of course schools should also discuss child pornography and sexual
abuse. All girls should have the right to learn feminist self defence
at school. That means to spread the knowledge about men's sexual
violence against women and children, to create a preparedness to
act – mentally, verbally and physically – against violations
and threats, and to strenghten girls' self confidence and feeling
of solidarity.
All children have the right to know
what they run the risk of being subjected to, how they can protect
themselves, and what their rights are, according to the UN's child
convention, for example. They have to be informed that they might
be abused, that they have the right to defend themselves, and that
they have the right to trust their own feelings and set limits.
They need to be told that they are precious.
Good sex education in schools is also
an important part of the preventive measures.
In Sweden today there is only one
clinic for victims of child sexual abuse and it is not run by the
state or the council, but is based on voluntary work; Rädda Barnens
(Save the Children's) boys' clinic. The majority of the victims
of child sexual abuse, the girls, have nowhere to turn for help
from people who have been trained to help children who are being/
have been subjected to child sexual abuse. It should be a matter
of course that all these children get help to deal with their experiences.
Furthermore, groups based on voluntary
work, like Stödcentrum mot Incest (the Support Centre against Incest),
must get more economic support.
Creating Public Opinion
As long as pornography is only discussed as a harmless expression
of male lust, the consequences for women and children will be obscured.
But through creating public opinion we can reveal the actions of
the porn industry and start asking questions: Why does pornography
exist? What does it really contain? What are the consequences? And
who benefits from its existance?
Only when many people get involved
can we really make a change. That is why it is also necessary that
many more people engage themselves in the work to create public
opinion against pornography.
A world of adults which accept child
pornography, lets the children down.
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Preface
