There has been a significant increase in rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse in recent years. The Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris has today stated that online violent pornography is driving much of this violence. Aontú leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has welcomed this statement. An Teachta Tóibín stated:
“It’s a cause of great frustration that we in Aontú have been raising the link between the spike in sexual violence in Ireland and the proliferation of violent pornography amongst children, with the government for the last 5 years and all they have done is shrugged their shoulders. 5 years ago Aontú tabled the Protection of Children (Online Pornographic Material) Bill 2020 to prevent Internet pornography firms from selling their material to children. The government have refused to support the Bill. They have refused to even acknowledge the science that shows the clear link between violence against women and violent pornography. The government talk about preventing violence against women but they refuse to tackle one of the biggest drivers of it”.
“The evidence is clear. Research shows that boys as young as eight years of age are accessing pornography online and one in every three pornography videos depicts explicit sexual violence or aggression. Mainstream pornography now frequently shows violence against women such as strangulation and degradation as standard, fuelling gender-based violence and preventing gender equality, research shows. It is distorting children’s understanding of relationships and sexuality. Its leading to rape and sexual assault. If an stranger came into your house and gave this material to your children, you would be forgiven for throwing him out of your house and calling the Gardaí. Yet this is in fact what’s happening every single day and the government is doing nothing about it”.
“There has been a massive increase in the number of sexual crimes in society over the last 10 years. In 2011 there were 1,958 Sexual offences recorded. In 2021 the figure increased by 75%to 3,433 sexual offences. In 2011 there were 447 rapes recorded. In 2021 it had doubled to 983 rapes. Domestic Violence is at an all time high. Children at Risk in Ireland (CARI), a specialist and professional therapy service for children who have been abused has found that there has been a 44% increase in sexual abuse and sexually harmful behaviour on children by children in recent years. The heart breaking Anna Kriegel case was a shockingly. Both boys were 13 years of age when they murdered Ana Kriegel. Yet they had more than 12,000 images. the vast majority pornographic, on two mobile phones. The government is banning the advertising of junk food to children because of the link to childhood obesity, yet they cannot draw the dots between hard core violent pornography and the massive increase of sexual violence against women”.
“We are urging the government to back the Aontú, Protection of Children (Online Pornographic Material) Bill 2020, listen to the Garda Commissioner, follow the example of countries such as France and get serious about sexual violence and domestic abuse now”.
