Dutch paedophile party in trouble

A Dutch political party formed by a group of paedophiles is unlikely to take part in the country's November elections due to a lack of support.

The Brotherly Love, Freedom and Diversity Party (PNVD) said it had only gathered 100 of the 570 signatures needed by the 10 October deadline.

It believes would-be supporters are afraid to publicly give their backing.

The party seeks to lower the age of sexual consent to 12, and legalise child pornography and sex with animals.

The PNVD was formed by three paedophiles in May, prompting outrage in Dutch society.

Breaking taboos

Party chairman Martijn Uittenbogaard said people were afraid of the consequences of showing their support.

"People will publish the names and addresses of anybody who signs on the internet, and hand out flyers in their neighbourhood," he told the Associated Press.

PNVD secretary Norbert de Jonge told the Reuters news agency: "They are afraid that their windows will be smashed, just as happened yesterday to our chairman."

The group would need around 60,000 votes to win just one seat in parliament, and pollsters have estimated that the party would have barely gained 1,000 votes in the national election.

In July, a Dutch court ruled that the party had a right to exist, after children's right activists sought to ban it.

The PNVD says its aim is to break taboos and fight intolerance, and that paedophilia should be freely discussed, arguing that a ban just makes children curious.

They say the subject has been a taboo since the 1996 Marc Dutroux child abuse scandal in Belgium.

The party also wants children from the age of 12 to be able to vote. It promotes the legalisation of hard and soft drugs, and free train travel for all.