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Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

moved Amendment No. 136B: 136B: Schedule 26, page 268, line 38, at end insert— ““( ) After subsection (1) insert— ““(1A) ““Threatening”” in subsection (1) extends to words, behaviour or written material which asserts or implies an association between sexual orientation and a propensity to commit child sex offences under Part 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.”””” The noble Lord said: We move to the offence of hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation. Our amendment seeks to define the word ““threatening”” in subsection (1) of the proposed offence. ““Threatening”” appears in the original Act in relation to religious hatred but ““threatening”” here in relation to sexual orientation should be extended, so that there can be no doubt about it, "““to words, behaviour or written material which asserts or implies an association between sexual orientation and a propensity to commit child sex offences under Part 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003””." What is the purpose of this amendment? We are concerned about the suggestion very frequently made by the British National Party and others that homosexuality and paedophilia are directly connected and that a person who is homosexual has a propensity to be a paedophile. As your Lordships are aware, there is no evidence whatever to that effect. Accordingly, we wish to extend the protection that is given by this schedule to avoid that imputation whether it is express—that is, whether it is asserted—or implied because a homosexual who hears someone saying that he is a paedophile may be in considerable danger. Those around him may decide that he should be attacked. I need not go into too much detail about the ways in which homosexual people have been attacked to the point of being beaten to death. We must avoid adding fuel to that fire by suggesting that a person is a paedophile simply because of his sexual orientation. The law should protect a person in that position. I beg to move.