Leinster House porn exposé ‘underlines wider problem’
That was the reaction of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre after the Irish Examiner reported attempts to access porn and escort sites were contained among 39,839 banned access attempts between May and September.
According to the Freedom of Information Act files, a third of these cases cannot be linked to spam or pop-up adverts. Of this group 1,619 web-pages classed as porn, 6,423 containing “provocative attire”, 1,047 of nudity, 268 of “incidental nudity” and 28 web pages with “sexual materials” were recorded.
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre chief executive Ellen O’Malley Dunlop said there was reason to be concerned by the figures.
“Research shows that many of the people in these movies or pictures, they’re not necessarily making them out of their own choice, so to see those numbers [the Leinster House figures] is very worrying.
“Pornography definitely desensitises you to the wider issues, and you can see that in how people are objectified in wider society.”
The figures, which do not include a TD and senator breakdown, as officials are not allowed to examine their computer usage, come after a number of debates in both Houses on the link between porn and sexual violence in society.
While officials have refused to provide any details on the cases behind yesterday’s reports, a decade-old scandal sheds light on more extreme situations involved.
Just over 10 years ago, in Jun 2003, Leinster House launched two investigations into claims an Oireachtas employee was caught performing a sex act on himself while watching porn. Widespread reports at the time said the individual, who has never been named, was allegedly caught literally with his pants down by a female colleague when she entered an unlocked office.
However, while the man was questioned, 10 years on it is still unclear whether any action was taken.
* Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, national 24 hour helpline: 1800-77-88-88.
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