In Germany the penalty for the distribution of child pornography has been reformed once again, after massive criticism from experts.
Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, lowered the minimum sentence for distribution from one year to six months late on Thursday evening, and to three months for accessing and possessing such material.
"What was well-intentioned has led to numerous problems in the practice of criminal prosecution," explained Justice Minister Marco Buschmann.
The penalties had been tightened in 2021. Since then, anyone who disseminates depictions of child sexual abuse faced a prison sentence of between one and 10 years.
The new reform does not change the maximum sentence, which has been increased to 10 years. However, because offences that carry a minimum sentence of one year in prison in Germany's Criminal Code are considered crimes, an unforeseen problem arose. For example, parents who discover child pornography in their child's chats and want to alert others risk a prison sentence if they forward the files carelessly.
Due to the increase in the minimum sentence, it was no longer possible to avoid punishment. This is why lawmakers have once again reduced the minimum sentence.