Five years in prison for conversion therapy?
Newshub reports:
Performing conversion practices intended to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, could end in a five year prison sentence under a new law change.
Conversion therapy is a harmful hoax. You can no more convert a gay man to heterosexuality than you could convert me to homosexuality. You don’t control whom you feel attracted to.
But is five years appropriate as a maximum sentence? Let’s compare that to other crimes.
- Indecent communications with a young person under 16: 3 years
- Indecent act on public place: 2 years
- Injuring with intent: 5 years
- Aggravated assault: 3 years
- Assault on a child: 2 years
- Poisoning with intent: 3 years
- Assault with a weapon: 5 years
Five years seems rather too high.