Pirate Party amends manifesto on child porn
The Swedish Pirate Party has changed its election manifesto after criticism over its position on child pornography.
"We have absolutely no interest in people watching child pornography, it is about defending basic legal principles," said party vice-chairperson Anna Troberg.
According to the updated manifesto, the party is now against "the production, spread and possession of 'documented sexual abuse' of children. The party does not want cartoons to be criminalized or that there be a risk for holiday photos of family's naked children to be considered child pornography.
The party has not however developed a clear definition of what pictures of sexual abuse would be, for example if an adult has to be present.
"We will have to look at that. But it can not be a matter of children in a bikini in an Ellos catelogue," Troberg said.
Troberg argued that the party never had the intention of allowing possession of pictures depicting real children exposed to assault, but fear that current legislation can lead to legal inconsistencies and the limitation of other information on the internet.
The Local reported last week that Pirate Party chairperson Rick Falkvinge had been forced to retract comments in a radio interview taken to mean that the party advocated the legalization of the possession of child pornography.
The party later distanced itself from the comments, with Anna Troberg telling The Local that the Pirate Party wants to see legal resources directed at tackling "real child pornography" and to stop making criminals of large numbers of other innocent people.
"The current law is wasting resources chasing pretend criminals and should be focusing on real child pornography, with real children involved, not manga comics, holiday pictures and so on," she said.
The current law on child pornography was passed in 1999 and was last updated as late as July 1st 2010 to cover "systematically viewing".
The law covers even drawings of fictional characters and has come into focus in recent months following the conviction of a well-known Swedish translator of manga comics for possession of drawings depicting children engaged in sexual acts.
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"We have absolutely no interest in people watching child pornography, it is about defending basic legal principles," said party vice-chairperson Anna Troberg.
According to the updated manifesto, the party is now against "the production, spread and possession of 'documented sexual abuse' of children. The party does not want cartoons to be criminalized or that there be a risk for holiday photos of family's naked children to be considered child pornography.
The party has not however developed a clear definition of what pictures of sexual abuse would be, for example if an adult has to be present.
"We will have to look at that. But it can not be a matter of children in a bikini in an Ellos catelogue," Troberg said.
Troberg argued that the party never had the intention of allowing possession of pictures depicting real children exposed to assault, but fear that current legislation can lead to legal inconsistencies and the limitation of other information on the internet.
The Local reported last week that Pirate Party chairperson Rick Falkvinge had been forced to retract comments in a radio interview taken to mean that the party advocated the legalization of the possession of child pornography.
The party later distanced itself from the comments, with Anna Troberg telling The Local that the Pirate Party wants to see legal resources directed at tackling "real child pornography" and to stop making criminals of large numbers of other innocent people.
"The current law is wasting resources chasing pretend criminals and should be focusing on real child pornography, with real children involved, not manga comics, holiday pictures and so on," she said.
The current law on child pornography was passed in 1999 and was last updated as late as July 1st 2010 to cover "systematically viewing".
The law covers even drawings of fictional characters and has come into focus in recent months following the conviction of a well-known Swedish translator of manga comics for possession of drawings depicting children engaged in sexual acts.
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