Letter: Legal buggery

LETTER:

Legal buggery

Sir: Jo Ind states in Saturday's "Faith & Reason" column (25 July) that "Anal sex between a man and a woman is illegal in England and Wales whatever the age and agreement between them". That is not true.

Since November 1994 anal sex has been legal "provided that the act of buggery takes place in private and both parties have attained the age of 18" (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, section 143). If both parties are men, there are extra restrictions - requiring, for example, that only two persons are present, whether or not they are participating - but those restrictions do not apply to heterosexual buggery.

ERIC THOMPSON

London NW.2