The Christian Institute

Blunkett accepts Lords' ban on sex in public toilets

Monday, 21 July 2003

Sex in public toilets will become a specific criminal offence, the Home Secretary has announced.

David Blunkett reluctantly accepted a House of Lords amendment to the Sexual Offences Bill which bans all sex in public toilets.

The new offence will replace ‘gross indecency’, which outlaws only homosexual acts in public toilets. The Government intends to repeal the ‘gross indecency’ laws.

Speaking during a Commons debate on the Sexual Offences Bill the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, conceded that a new offence was needed.

He stated that in order to make it absolutely clear that sex in public toilets would remain illegal, he would not remove the Lords amendment passed on 9 June. He said he would, however, seek to make sure the new offence is workable.

The need for the new offence arose after the Government proposed to repeal ‘gross indecency’ without putting anything in its place. The Government denied this would legalise sex in public toilets, saying the common law offence of ‘outraging public decency’ would be sufficient to control the problem.

But critics said ‘outraging public decency’ was extremely weak and would not be enough.

The Government came under further pressure when an influential committee of MPs called for further safeguards to be put in law to make sure sex in public toilets would remain illegal.

The Christian Institute is delighted that the Government will now support the Lords’ amendment.

‘Gross indecency’ is not being repealed in Scotland.