Pornography goes on open display

THE arrival of Playboy on Dublin news stands has encouraged a number of city newsagents to begin openly displaying pornographic magazines.

The newsagents are being supplied with the magazines by an independent distributor, believed to be based in Belfast, who began visiting shops in the Republic late last year. They have a catalogue of hundreds of titles on offer.

It is not illegal to sell pornographic magazines unless they have been specifically prohibited by the Censorship of Publications Board. However, under common law, the Garda may seize such items if it considers them obscene.

The Fianna Fail spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, has received a number of complaints about "lurid disreputable" material being displayed on newsagents shelves. He believes there is a need to introduce legislation to control the sale of pornography.

"The legislation is not working. Unless a publication is banned it would appear to me that it is not a criminal offence to sell such material," Mr O'Donoghue said. These publications can give rise at least to psychological problems for those that indulge in them, and at worst to crimes of a sexual nature."

The Censorship of Publications Board considers banning a publication if a member of the public objects to the board about its sale. The objection must be accompanied by at least three different issues of the periodical, and the reasons for the objection.

Mr Michael Campbell, of RGDATA, the retailers' organisation, said he believes the publishers of pornographic magazines are anxious to sell their products in this market. The unbanning of Playboy may be a factor in the recent appearance of these magazines in newsagents, he said.

However, he did not think pornographic magazines would be put on public display in the way they are in continental European countries.

Mr Basil McAllister, of Easons, said they would not bat this juncture be interested" in distributing pornographic magazines which have not been banned.

Easons now stocks and distributes Playboy as well as H&E, a "naturist" magazine, and For Women, a soft porn magazine containing pictures of naked men.

"Easons would like to be just slightly ahead of public taste," Mr McAllister said.

A newsagent in the Temple Bar area of Dublin, who began stocking pornographic magazines in December, says they "make me more money than all the other magazines put together, and for half the hassle".

The distributors who supply him have a huge list of unbanned titles, mainly comprising "soft pornography". He stocks the magazines, most of which sell for £6 each, on the top shelf of his periodicals display.

"I personally feel that it is up to the individual what they want to read. The regular women's magazines are as bad as any of the pornographic ones. The ones I object to most are the regular magazines aimed at girls between 11 and 17 they're the real pornography."

The magazines on sale in the shop have titles like Asian Beauties. Plump And Pink, and Lovers In Heat.

The newsagent did not want to be named.

Ms Roisin McDermott, of Women's Aid, believes that pornographic magazines debase women, and the men who read them, "but I don't believe that looking at these magazines leads to men attacking women".

While she is not in favour of magazines such as Playboy being banned, she believes there may be a need for legislative control because pornographic magazines extend over a range that includes at one end violence against women and paedophilia.

Such "hard core" pornography can affect people who already have problems in relation to sex, or women, she said.

Mr Tom Cooney, a member of the executive of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, said the urge to censor pornographic magazines should be resisted.

"In a robust democracy we protect even the kind of expression that we find repugnant. John O'Donoghue's call for censorship is symptomatic of an attitude that is uncomfortable with robust democracy.

Pornography which involves children is illegal because its production involves using children for a sexual act, which is itself a crime. The sale of such material is an invasion of the right to privacy of the children concerned, he said.

"I think it would be defensible that modest steps be taken to ensure that pornography is kept out of the reach of children," he said.

It might be necessary to introduce regulations prohibiting the sale of pornographic magazines to minors, he added.

Supt Eugene O'Shea, of Pearse Street Garda station, Dublin, says gardai are constantly on the lookout for shops selling banned or "hard core" pornography.

In December a large amount of pornographic tapes and magazines was seized from a sex shop on South William Street, he said. However, gardai would be slow to seize "Playboy type" magazines on sale in ordinary newsagents.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said the Government had no plans to introduce changes in the legislation governing the sale of pornography.