Portrait of the sadist as a young man by Charles Amédée Philippe van Loo (1719-1795).
His name has become a byword for deviancy and sexual cruelty. But Sade has also provided creative inspiration for generations of writers and artists.
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The law needs updating – but great care is required when it comes to consent and sadomasochistic sex.
We need more clarity around this difficult question: when are sexual acts so extreme that consent is irrelevant?
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How Australian courts might interpret consent in situations like this is far from clear, and needs to be sorted out.