Kamloops MP’s bill to change child pornography name reaches senate

OTTAWA — A private member’s bill moved by Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo has reached the senate after unanimously passing third reading.

Bill C-291 seeks to change the name of child pornography to “child sexual abuse material.”

“A little over a year ago as I stood on people’s doorsteps, I promised them I would change how we look at sexual offenses against children. Today, this bill passing unanimously is a major milestone in fulfilling my promise to keep children safe and recognize the harm occurring when they are abused,” said Caputo.

“Make no mistake, what is occurring with this sort of material is the repeated victimization of children. I say ‘repeated’ because the act itself happens, the act is recorded and every time that media is disseminated, it is viewed or passed on to somebody else, that child is revictimized, and we cannot lose sight of that. Children do not ask to be abused. However, not only are they abused, but that abuse is perpetuated with each viewing, download and access.”

The bill will now be debated in the Canadian senate, needing to pass through multiple readings before becoming law.