on 26-09-2014 11:25 AM
GERMANY’S national ethics council wants to allow incest between siblings
German Ethics Council votes in favour of allowing incest between siblings
GERMANY’S national ethics council wants to allow incest between siblings, saying the risk of disability in children isn’t enough to warrant the law.
The Independent reports that the council made the recommendation after reviewing the case of Patrick Stuebing, a man who was adopted as a child and met his half-sister when he was 24 and she was 16.
The pair have four children together, however he was jailed for three years in 2008 and his sister, Susan Karolewski, was only allowed to keep one out of their four children.
Two of the children are disabled although it is unclear if that is a result of their parents being related.
Overnight, the German Ethics Council recommended that Section 173 of the German criminal code, which makes incest an offence under which offenders can be jailed for years, be repealed.
The chairman of the council, Christiane Woopen, was among the 14 members voting in favour of repealing the law, while nine people voted for the ban to continue and two abstained.
“The majority of the German Ethics Council is of the opinion that it is not appropriate for a criminal law to preserve a social taboo,” the council said. “In the case of consensual incest among adult siblings, neither the fear of negative consequences for the family, nor the possibility of the birth of children from such incestuous relationships can justify a criminal prohibition.
“The fundamental right of adult siblings to sexual self-determination has more weight in such cases than the abstract protection of the family,” the council added. “Incest between siblings appears to be very rare in Western societies according to the available data but those affected describe how difficult their situation is in light of the threat of punishment.”
Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, a spokeswoman for Angela Merkel’s CDU party, said the abolition of the law against incest would send the wrong message.
“Abolishing criminal punishment against incestuous actions within a family would go completely against protecting the undisturbed development of children,” she told Deutsche Welle.
The Ethics Council’s recommendation only covered incest between siblings and members did not recommend decriminalising sex between parents and children.
on 27-09-2014 07:55 AM
azureline** wroteIt used to happen regularly when midwives held back the birth until the doctor arrived $$$$$$. I know a woman who, when the nurse tried to do this, kicked the nurse in the stomach and proceeded to give birth.Isn't cerebral palsy an injury before, during or after birth?
27-09-2014 08:09 AM - edited 27-09-2014 08:13 AM
@karliandjacko wrote:
@the_great_she_elephant wrote:
@azureline** wrote:
@the_great_she_elephant wrote:
@ashjoma wrote:
Well, there's a lot of issues on the news at the moment.
Also a former neighbour lives next to a household. Cousins married. All 4 children have big issues/ retarded. And it's the rest of us that have to pay for this.
Christopher Robim Milne married his cousin, Lesley deSelincourt, and their daughter, Clare suffered from cerebral palsey. Whether it was because of the close genetic relationship between her parents I don't know.Isn't cerebral palsy an injury before, during or after birth?
I don't know, Az I don't have any personal experience with it.If you're right then of course it has absolutely nothing to do with the parents being cousins.
If there are genetic issues in a family then obviously cousins marrying could increase the chances of passing on disabilities.
And that is why it's discouraged, because the shared genetics increase the chances of passing on a defect.
It depends on the degree of consanguinity. Most of these unions have a small chance of passing on any genetic flaw, but they also have equal chance of passing on dividends, eg, high intelligence, long life etc.
These unions are discouraged only by myth and ignorance, a visit to a geneticist can allay any doubts, one way or another.
on 27-09-2014 09:11 AM
@kilroy_is_here wrote:
So if the majority came out tomorrow and said that the age of consent should be 14 you would be ok with it
Arguably the most well known "paedophile" in the world, Presley, preferred young teens, a 14 year old being the youngest, as far as the world knows. Probably that was fairly common in the area where he was born. This young age is common in many countries.
on 27-09-2014 09:49 AM
@polksaladallie wrote:
@kilroy_is_here wrote:
So if the majority came out tomorrow and said that the age of consent should be 14 you would be ok with itArguably the most well known "paedophile" in the world, Presley, preferred young teens, a 14 year old being the youngest, as far as the world knows. Probably that was fairly common in the area where he was born. This young age is common in many countries.
Who is "Presley" ? I don't know about him.
on 27-09-2014 09:52 AM
@love*today wrote:
Why do you need it spelt out?
Will you feel better if she states the obvious?
oh, its about muslims again
why not just say ??
on 27-09-2014 10:13 AM
@lightningdance wrote:
@polksaladallie wrote:
@kilroy_is_here wrote:
So if the majority came out tomorrow and said that the age of consent should be 14 you would be ok with itArguably the most well known "paedophile" in the world, Presley, preferred young teens, a 14 year old being the youngest, as far as the world knows. Probably that was fairly common in the area where he was born. This young age is common in many countries.
Who is "Presley" ? I don't know about him.
A devout Christian
on 27-09-2014 10:19 AM
@polksaladallie wrote:
@lightningdance wrote:
@polksaladallie wrote:
@kilroy_is_here wrote:
So if the majority came out tomorrow and said that the age of consent should be 14 you would be ok with itArguably the most well known "paedophile" in the world, Presley, preferred young teens, a 14 year old being the youngest, as far as the world knows. Probably that was fairly common in the area where he was born. This young age is common in many countries.
Who is "Presley" ? I don't know about him.
A devout Christian
Who is "Presley"???? being a devout Christian is not telling anybody who you are talking about? If you are going to make a comment then at least say who you are commenting about.
Or are we supposed to think that a " devout Christian" is a ped ipso facto all "devout Christians" are peds?
on 27-09-2014 10:28 AM
@kilroy_is_here wrote:
This typical of this place, grab onto what ever you can no mater how small and ride that **bleep** as far as it will go , rather than actually debating the wider propersition
It's not grabbing onto anything.
Not putting people in prison for sex between siblings has no bearing on same sex relationships, the age of consent, or same sex marriage. They are totally unrelated subjects and one does not lead to another.
on 27-09-2014 10:59 AM
I don't understand why a poster would post anything if they don't want any part of it discussed.
Decriminalising incest is not saying it is OK. It just means they won't go to jail. It doesn't mean a crime of incest committed by non consenting persons will not be investigated and appropriate charges laid and sentences given.
on 27-09-2014 12:13 PM