Violent porn is normalised on an ‘industrial scale’, says Grace Tame

Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame says Australia ‘cannot hope to prevent child sex abuse and family violence’ with the unfettered proliferation of pornography and inappropriate material online.

Grace Tame. Picture: Chris Kidd

Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame says Australia “cannot hope to prevent child sex abuse and family violence” with the unfettered proliferation of pornography and inappropriate material online, saying the government must hold the tech sector to account and move quickly on age-assurance technology.

The comments from Ms Tame, a victim-survivor and advocate, come as police ministers from around the country meet on Friday to discuss how to prevent domestic violence rather than only react to it once it has occurred.

Tackling young people’s exposure to pornography through the launch of an age verification trial was one of a suite of measures announced by Anthony Albanese on Wednesday, with the Prime Minister also unveiling a nearly $1bn spend to provide women with the financial support to leave violent relationships.

In response to figures showing less than half of applications for a similar program running over the past two years were approved, Mr Albanese said he wanted to make it easier for women to access the financial support of up to $5000.

“I don’t like the idea that anyone who should be getting this payment hasn’t got this payment, to be very clear,” he told ABC. Mr Albanese added that the spread of inappropriate material such as violent pornography had created a “very dangerous circumstance” and was “denigrating the nature of our relationships”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Sydney today and addresses the media in a press conference with the Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth and the Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Ms Tame welcomed Labor’s about-face on launching a trial of age-assurance technology, noting that early exposure to pornography was “a clear pathway to harmful sexual behaviours among children and young people”.

“Adult pornography is increasingly incorporating themes relating to child abuse, such as incest. We cannot hope to prevent child sexual abuse and family violence while it is being normalised on an industrial scale,” Ms Tame said in a statement through the Grace Tame Foundation.

“Showing children pornography is a recognised form of child sexual abuse and grooming.

“We cannot allow the technology sector to engage in this while we criminalise the same conduct among individual perpetrators.”

Mr Albanese announced the trial – for which there is currently no timeframe – in the wake of at least 29 women being killed by men this year alone.

On top of taking action to combat online harms, the government has committed to bringing together states and territories to discuss bail reform, monitoring of perpetrators and other preventative strategies.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus will convene all state and territory police ministers on Friday in Canberra to discuss what can be done to stop violence against women, with a nearly 30 per cent increase in intimate partner homicides since last year.

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said her government would “consider everything and ensure this is a whole of government approach”.

South Australia on Tuesday passed legislation ensuring DV perpetrators were monitored on bail

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