A historic decision to ban sex dolls shaped like children is in the works in Denmark.
The right-wing Danish People's Party has long been trying to get a ban on child-like sex dolls through the Danish Parliament, and now there is a majority in place, which today (7 February) is set to back the party's proposal, Danish Radioreported.
The ruling Social Democrats have long supported the ban, and now the Socialist People's Party and the Red-Green Alliance have jumped aboard.
This was welcome news for Peter Skaarup, the Danish People's Party's legal spokesman.
“I hope that we will send a signal to paedophiles willing to abuse children sexually that we will not have it. We will take action against every step in this direction, because we have to protect our children. Part of that is banning child sex dolls,” Skaarup said.
Social Democrat legal spokesman Jeppe Bruus has in the past six months become increasingly involved in the case and maintains that a ban on child sex dolls is the right way to go.
“Children should not be portrayed in sexual situations. This is also why it is nowadays prohibited to make cartoons or computer animations of these situations. Therefore, of course, it should also be prohibited to manufacture, import and own these dolls, which look like children,” he stressed.
By his own admission, real-life examples he has seen have steeled his resolve.
“These are real dolls that look like little kids. They wear children's clothes, they have light in their eyes and say 'no, no, daddy'; they are made to look like young children for people to fulfil their desire to have sex with them."
The organisation Save the Children has changed its attitude. While there is still no research to indicate that a ban will somehow put a damper on child abuse, it can no longer see a moral argument for not banning the dolls.
“They have become even more lifelike, with a body temperature and the like. Then, we become concerned that it can have a negative effect. That sexualisation is so hard to overlook that, purely from a moral standpoint, we have to say no now,” psychologist Kuno Sørensen explained.
When the Danish People's Party first presented the ban, they could not obtain a majority. The centre-right “blue bloc” opposed the ban, and so did the left-of-the-centre Socialist People's Party and the Red-Green Alliance. However, they have since changed their minds.
Socialist People's Party spokeswoman Karina Lorentzen Denhardt cited a precautionary principle for the sake of children, whereas Red-Green Alliance spokeswoman Rosa Lund referred to an increase in childlike dolls being sold.
Following the first reading today, the ban is expected to be passed sometime in autumn. Jeppe Bruus envisions a sentence ranging from a fine to up to two years in prison.