Pornography in Denmark

The first country in the world to legitimize pornography was Denmark in 1967. That year, the country legalized pornographic literature. Subsequently in 1969, it became the first nation in the world to legalize pictorial and audiovisual pornography.[1]

People in Denmark have had free access to it ever since. There still are a few regulations: for example, pornography must be placed out of the eyesight of children, and it may not be sold to persons under the age of 15. The public TV channel Kanal København broadcast hardcore pornography free and uncoded at night, in the early 2000s.

Prior to 2015 there were no specific restrictions against animal pornography and such affairs came under animal cruelty laws. If no harm or pain has been inflicted on the animal, such acts are not illegal. This changed in late April 2015, when Denmark passed a new law, making sex with animals illegal.[2] This lack of legislation has allegedly made Denmark a center for the production of animal pornography. This accusation, however, was dismissed as a myth by Det Dyreetiske Råd, a legal council, which in November 2006 published an extensive report on the topic of animal sex.[3]

Since 1980, child pornography has been illegal in Denmark.[4] It is illegal to distribute photographic or video pornography of persons under the age of 18, although the age of consent in Denmark is 15.

Further reading
  • Morten Thing: Pornografiens historie i Danmark (Aschehaug, 1999)
  • Berl Kutchinsky: Law, pornography, and crime: The Danish experience (Pax Forlag, 1999)

References
  1. Denmark in the International Encyclopedia of Sexuality Archived 2011-01-13 at the Wayback Machine - "...Denmark was the first country in the world to legitimize written pornography in 1967 (followed by pictorial pornography in 1969).".
  2. "Flertal for lovændring: Nu bliver sex med dyr ulovligt". TV2 Politik. TV2. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  3. Udtalelse om menneskers seksuelle omgang med dyr Det Dyreetiske Råd
  4. Section 234 of the Danish Criminal Code (1969), reads whoever 'sells indecent pictures or objects to a person under 16 yrs of age' is to be punished by a fine. Section 235 (1980) has a special provision concerning the reproduction and sale of child pornography, that is, sexually explicit photographs of persons who appear to be under 15 years (the taking of such pictures was always a criminal offence).
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