Written evidence to be reported to the House

Part of Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 5:45 pm on 16 October 2007.

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Jan Berry: I am not sure that I see contradictions. This is a particularly difficult area to police, because of, as you say, the way in which it could be interpreted. As  a matter of principle, I think that it is appropriate for the criminal law to set the standards of behaviour in society. I think that, as a result of violent videos, whether involving children or adults, people’s behaviour has changed.

Some might say that what adults do in their own time and in their own place is down to them, but when that starts to feature in films and videos, it starts to impact on other people. It is appropriate for the criminal law to try and deal with some of those areas. I do not pretend that that is simple to describe. It is even less simple to interpret. Again, although my colleagues might come upon such issues during the course of their normal duties, any prosecution from such a case would be considered at length. I cannot see anybody being prosecuted unless it was felt that there was sufficient evidence and something more than, as you say, the arousal.