Regarding child pornography ruling by BC Court of Appeal
June 30, 1999

We are outraged at the decision of the BC Court of Appeal. Like Justice Shaw, they have effectively condoned the sexual abuse of children.

Consumption of child pornography, in our view, is nothing less than second-hand rape and sexual abuse. All children are degraded and put at risk by child pornography.

The vast majority of children involved in the production of pornography are the victims of rape and sexual exploitation. We also know that men most often escalate from viewing pornography to carrying out acts of abuse on children.

Look at the recent case of Frank Kim. We saw how he escalated from viewing child porn to videotaping himself raping multiple young girls. This is the reality of child pornography, as anyone who has worked with child victims of the sex-trade knows.

Freedom of expression for men should not include degradation, rape and sexual exploitation of children. This is a prejudiced reading of the Charter. Justice Shaw and the BC Court of Appeal may twist the Charter to uphold the interests of child abusers but the Supreme Court is unlikely to do so.

Annabel Webb
Justice For Girls