IE trial bolsters bigotry

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of four leading members of the Paedophile Information Exchange on charges of "conspiracy to corrupt public morals" has proved inconclusive.

One of the four accused PIE Executive Committee members has been acquitted. But the other three face a retrial on virtually identical charges after the jury failed to agree on a verdict.

These trials are important first and foremost because they are an attack on democratic rights and an attempt to use the power of the state to buttress reactionary prejudice and ideology.

They must be totally con demned by the labour, socialist and sexual liberation movements, both on grounds of defending democratic rights of examples of oppressed minorities generally.

• The specific nature of the charge also involves another threat to democratic rights generally.

The defendants were originally accused under the notorious conspiracy laws of plotting to do something which is not itself a crime.

Even the ruling class is worried about the scandalous nature of the conspiracy laws and proposals have been floated to change them.

And there are already signs that the Public Prosecutor believes the original charge cannot be upheld and the charges will be much reduced.

That, however, would not reduce the other alarming aspect of the trial: it is a show trial designed to reinforce reactionary and oppressive attitudes towards sexuality. police, the legal authorities and the capitalist press to reinforce the already massive prejudice against paedophilia as "child molesting"; and they link this with bigotry against homosexualty, the reactionary gloritication of the family unit and the suppression of children's sexuality.

It would be a grave error for socialists to react to this ideological onslaught by distancing themselves from the defence of the PIE defendants because of widespread prejudice against paedophilia since the attack on paedophiles is l inextricably linked to sexually oppressive attitudes in general.

We believe that socialists should oppose the oppressive laws related to the age of consent which both discriminate against male homosexuality and impose arbitrary state prohibitions on personal relations. sexual relations of any kind involving coercion. Consent must be the basis of 'any free sexual relations.

People who accept these points also sometimes argue that paedophilia should be condemned because no sexual relationships between adults and children can be based on consent.

This assumes that children are incapable of consent and that adult-child sexuality is necessarily corrupting.

Such a crude argument has to be rejected, though this is not to deny that the definition of consent may be particularly problematical in relation to very young people.

It is for this reason that many® 'on the left in the feminist movement and gay movement feel that adult/child relationships are oppressive rather than liberating for the child concerned.

But the question of consent is frequently problematical too in relation to sexual relations more generally.

And one of the reasons that particular problems may exist in relation to adult/child relations is the systematic denial of rights to children in present-day capitalist society-particularly in schools and in the family.

This conception of childhood as sexless and irresponsible ible "innocence" is itself in large part an artificial construction of society and not a law of nature.

Not so different So while "consent and "coercion' in relation to paedophilia definitely raise some special problems and controversy even on the left these problems are not nearly so different from the problems involved in personal February at 7.00 p.m. at the Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1. Readers are urged to support.

The Turkey Solidarity Campaign has produced its first Information Bulletin on Turkey for the Labour and Trade Union Movement' ', available free from BM Box 5965, London WCIN 3XX. relations in general as usually asserted-and as those prejudiced. against paedophilia would like to believe.

In relation to this question the Campaign Against Public Morals has produced an important pamphlet "Paedophilia and Publíc Morals" which deserves wide discussion. • It is obtainable for 95p plus postage from CAPM, BM Box 1151, London WCIV 6XX along with more information on the trial.

The CAPM pamphlet contributes a well argued case about how prejudice against paedophilia is inextricably linked to the sexual and social oppression of women, children and gay people.

It helps, therefore, to highlight the need for all those against social and sexual oppression to oppose the PIE show trial.

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