Kids free to borrow library comic book censored by e-Safety Commissioner as pornography

Children are free to borrow a graphic comic book from public libraries even though the e-Safety Commissioner has censored the online version.

Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner has classified an online comic book as adults-only pornography, but children can still borrow the printed version from public libraries.

Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner has classified as adults-only pornography a comic book that children are free to borrow from public libraries.

In a ruling that exposes inconsistencies in the censorship of sexually explicit publications, the federal government’s Office of the e-Safety Commissioner has slapped a “Class 2” rating of adult pornography on the online version of the graphic novel Preacher Volume 2, by Garth Ennis.

However, the official censor, the Australian Classification Board, has not evaluated the print version of the publication.

The printed publication was available from libraries across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne on Tuesday, without any content warning or restrictions on children borrowing the book.

The lack of a Classification Board rating or age-appropriate warning would permit school ­libraries to stock the comic book, which is summarised on Amazon Books as a “violent, scabrous journey across America’s religious landscape”.

The e-Safety Commissioner describes Class 2 material as “inappropriate for general public ­access and/or for children and young people under 18 years old’’.

“Class 2A material generally contains real sexual activity between consenting adults, where there is no violence, sexual violence or coercion and there are no fetishes or purposely demeaning activities,’’ it states.

“This material is generally known as ‘pornography’.

“Class 2B material can contain high impact depictions of simulated sexual activity, nudity, violence or drug use.

“It is considered unsuitable for children and young people under 18 years old.’’

The censorship controversy follows criticism by child safety advocates of the Classification Board’s clearance of a different graphic comic book depicting sexual violence, as well as a novel portraying the gang rapes of young girls.

The board said the publi­cations were not recommended for children younger than 15, but child safety advocate Hetty Johnston and Collective Shout demanded they be banned.

Both sides of politics have ignored advice to appoint child development experts to help the Australian Classification Board assess violent and explicit ­content.

The former Morrison government’s independent review of classification laws recommended in 2020 that a community advisory panel be established to update guidelines for Classification Board decisions. The review, chaired by former senior public servant Neville Stevens, called for a new panel involving experts in child development to “draw on both the empirical evidence in relation to harmful impacts of media content, especially on children, and research and consultation with the community’’.

“Currently, there is no mechanism for regular reviewing and updating of guidelines to reflect community standards, empirical research on child development ­issues or developments in content or modes of delivery,’’ the review concluded.

The report was handed to the former Coalition government in 2020 but it was made public by the Albanese government only in 2023.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland launched a second review of classification laws in April last year.

Relationships Australia – a government-funded family counselling service – is pushing for a community panel to advise the Classification Board.

It told the ongoing review that panel members should include experts in child safety, child and adolescent mental health, gendered violence, peer sexual abuse among children, and adolescents using violence in the home.

Relationships Australia called for censorship guidelines to be reviewed at least every 10 years, taking into account “child dev­elop­ment, child safety, children’s mental health and the availability and volume of access to high impact content by children’’.

The Classification Board’s director, Steven Thompson, was appointed by Ms Rowland two months ago. He previously worked as director of strategy and planning at the Australia Council for the Arts, and as acting director of people and corporate services with the NSW Government Greater Cities Commission.

The deputy director is former management consultant Tristan Sharp, who previously worked as the director of programs and engagement at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.

The other three full-time board members are fine art and heritage specialist and valuer Hellen Perko, former NSW Legislative Council communi­cations director Lauren Monaghan, and former IMAX Sydney CEO and Dendy Cinemas national program manager Dominique Irlinger.

The Classification Board also has two part-time members and six temporary members, who include a union engagement officer, an engineer, a lawyer and a documentary filmmaker.

A Department of Communications spokeswoman said the members were appointed using a “merit-based and transparent process’’.

“In making recommendations for the appointment of board members, regard is to be had to the desirability of ensuring the membership is broadly representative of the Australian community,’’ she said.