CALGARY, Mar 22 (Lifesitenews.com) – The National Foundation for Family Research and Education (NFFRE) announced Friday that they are seeking intervenor status in the B. C. Government’s appeal against a January court decision legalizing the possession of child pornography. In his controversial judgment on the Robin Sharpe case, B. C. Supreme Court Justice Duncan Shaw concluded banning the possession of child pornography does society more harm than good by promoting an “intrusion into freedom of expression and the right of privacy … so profound that it is not outweighed by the limited beneficial effects of the prohibition.”
NFFRE notes that in reaching his decision, Judge Shaw heard expert testimony on the probable effects of pornography on pedophiles’ behaviours presented by Dr. P. I. Collins who submitted two studies as evidence in the case. These studies led Shaw to conclude “Only assumption supports the proposition that materials that advocate or counsel sexual crimes with children have the effect of increasing the occurrence of such crimes.” NFFRE suggests this interpretation was a key factor in the Judge’s decision that outlawing possession of child pornography is likely to have only “limited beneficial effects” to society.
Over the past few years, NFFRE has investigated the psychological impacts on children of sex with adults and the developmental pathways believed to lead to pedophilia. Last month, the Foundation also completed a detailed analysis of the effects of pornography on sexual attitudes and behaviour, drawing on data on 12,912 subjects collected through 74 studies from around the world. Among the findings in this latest study was that, contrary to Judge Shaw’s interpretation of the evidence presented in the Sharpe case, the consumption of pornography may significantly increase the incidence of sexually deviant behaviour by sexual offenders.
For more information, please contact NFFRE’s Calgary office at (403) 254-9861