January 26

Events

• Current events

• 1977 - The voices of a generation speak - The French newspaper Le Monde published a statement on this date signed by 66 leading scholars and intellectuals, including Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-François Lyotard, Jean-Paul Sartre, and a number of doctors, psychologists and psychiatric specialists. Their letter, in its entirety, stated:

On January 27, 28, and 29, Bernard Dejager, Jean-Claude Gallien, and Jean Burckardt will by tried before the cour d'assises des Yvelines for lascivious acts with a minor of less than 15 years of age. Arrested in autumn of 1973, it is for more than three years now that they remain in remand. Only Bernard Dejager has recently benefited from the presumption of innocence. Such a long time in remand to investigate a simple 'vice' affair, where the children have not been victims of the slightest violence, but have to the contrary testified before the examining magistrates that they consented - although the law at present denies them their right to consent - such a long time in remand we do consider scandalous in itself. Today they risk to be sentenced to a long prison term either for having had sexual relations with minors, boys as well as girls, or for having encouraged and taken photographs of their sexual plays. We believe that there is an incongruity between the designation as a 'crime' which serves to legitimize such a severity, and the facts themselves; even more so between the antiquated law and the reality of every day life in a society which tends to know about the sexuality of children and adolescents (thirteen-year olds are given the pill, for what doing?) French law contradicts itself if it recognizes a capacity for discernment in thirteen and fourteen year olds, so as to be able to try and sentence them, but denies them the same capability with respect to their emotional and sexual life. Three years for caresses and kisses are enough. We would not understand if on January the 29th, Dejager, Gallien, and Burckardt would not be freed.

• 1994 - A principled stand or just another way to avoid paying up? - An amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for 1994 and 1995 was approved by a vote of 99-0 by the United States Senate on this date. The amendment, sponsored by Jesse Helms required the withholding of $118.9 million of the funds authorized for the UN if it gave official status, accreditation, or recognition to any organization which promotes, condones, or seeks the legalization of pedophilia. The amendment was prompted by the decision by the United Nations Economic and Social Council to grant "consultative status" to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), organization that included NAMBLA. One Senator said, "The notion that the United Nations should be consulting with child molesters on how to spend American taxpayers' money is outrageous, yet that is exactly the situation we are in today." No arguments were expressed in opposition to the amendment. Ultimately, ILGA caved to pressure and dropped NAMBLA in order to retain its status with the UN.

• 2001 - A score of 6-3 is game, set, and match in this court - The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in a 6-3 vote on this date that people can't be prosecuted for creating photographic or written material designed purely for their own use as long as real pictures or videos do not show illegal acts, thus overturning the existing law. The Federal court, in essence, agreed with the British Columbia Court of Appeal's statement that the Criminal Code section on possession of child pornography "is truly one step removed from criminalizing simply having objectionable thoughts." The decision came from a case involving John Robin Sharpe, two, who was charged with the possession, manufacturing and distribution of child pornography in 1995.