UK firms guilty of sexualisation of children to be prosecuted

LONDON - The British government will soon put in place new stringent laws that will allow it to prosecute companies who issue advertisements, magazine images or clothing that leads to the sexualisation of children.

Coalition sources said the planned laws could see businesses targeted sindividually, while a new industry-wide standard would be established, reports the Telegraph.

Reg Bailey, chief executive of the Mothers’ Union, will lead the government-commissioned review.

Recently, there was an outcry from parents over the sale of high-heeled shoes and provocative underwear aimed at girls as young as 10.

Bailey review will gather evidence of the way in which children are being ‘prematurely sexualised’ by retailers and plans to ‘legislate or regulate’ the worst offenders.

Furthermore, parents could be given more power to challenge offending such adverts or products.

The move is strongly backed by Prime Minister David Cameron, who hit out at the premature sexualisation of children in one of his first major interventions as Conservative leader, more than four years ago.

Earlier this year, he returned to the attack after it emerged children were being paid to promote sugary soft drinks and other products on social networks or in the playground.

The coalition’s recent Equality Strategy promised to ‘crack down on irresponsible advertising and marketing, especially to children, and take steps to tackle the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood’. (ANI)