*Warning this includes material that may be upsetting*

Ministers must urgently curb internet pornography to prevent more awful cases of sexual violence, CARE has warned, after it emerged rapist and murderer Wayne Couzens viewed “brutal pornography” before committing his crimes.

During proceedings at the Old Bailey this week, judges heard evidence from an individual who worked with Couzens before he joined the police force. The former colleague noted “his attraction to brutal sexual pornography”.

A former associate of the killer who served with him in the Territorial Army also remarked on his obsession with pornography in an interview with the Daily Mail earlier this year. The man said:

“It was weird that on the first occasion that I met him that he was pointing out his porn interest on the internet – I didn’t really need to know that, it was pretty unwanted. All I can remember is I went round to his flat and he started showing me, ‘this is a great website for porn’. He had quite an interest in pornography.”

'Example of what porn obsession an lead to'

This morning CARE, which campaigns for better online safety, said the revelations shine a spotlight on the role pornography plays in inspiring sexual violence and called for action to curb the porn industry.

CARE campaigned successfully for legislation to curb porn sites and restrict access by children. However, the measures were scrapped by the UK Government in 2019. Nola Leach, CEO of CARE, commented:

“We worked on legislation – Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act – that would have punished sites that host extreme content and blocked access to pornography by children. These vital measures were supported by women’s groups, child safety campaigners and endorsed by parliament. But Ministers delayed implementation for two years and, in 2019, they scrapped Part 3.

“The case of Wayne Couzens is an unspeakably awful example of what porn obsession can lead to – brutal sexual violence in the offline world. Couzens enacted what he had seen dramatized on screen in videos that are easily accessible to any person with the click of a button.

"If we want to avoid more ‘Couzens’ in the years ahead, the government must stop men accessing content online that glorifies rape and violence, and fuels deeply sinister ideas about women. They must curb the porn industry and stop children accessing porn sites.”

Govt's own research suggests porn links to violence

Research by the UK Government's Equalities Office published in February last year demonstrated a link between pornography consumption and violence against women and girls.

The report, titled 'The relationship between pornography use and harmful sexual behaviours', found that: "The majority of Frontline workers spontaneously mentioned pornography as an influential factor for harmful sexual behaviours towards women and girls."

Its added, "it was clear that the potential influence of pornography, especially when playing a role in conjunction with other factors, was a source of considerable concern for Frontline Workers.

"It was evident from the interviews that there was a widespread belief in the need to address the role that pornography plays, as part of the approach to minimising harmful sexual behaviours towards women".

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

For interview requests or more information please contact Jamie Gillies: jamie.gillies@care.org.uk