Who am I?

My name is Bart Teii. I am also known as King of Ink Land. I was exposed to Body Modification in different cultures as a child  and have undergone many procedures myself - these procedures are now deemed to be illegal. I believe this to be wrong as every person should have autonomy over what they choose to do with their body.

I want to change the law to stop these procedures from being pushed underground and to give consenting adults the freedom to change their bodies.

Background - Brendan Patrick McCarthy's Case

Body modification artist Brendan Patrick McCarthy was recently sentenced to 40 months in prison for carrying out ear and nipple removals and splitting a customer's tongue. Despite being open about his work and not knowing he was committing any offence, he was forced to plead guilty to three counts of Grievous Bodily Harm - Wounding with Intent. Not one of his clients (I am one of them) made a complaint and there are many other people offering body modification procedures all over the UK. The charges against Brendan fall in The Offence against the persons act 1861. (Section 18) (Section 20).

Why is this important?

The main problem is society's view of the people seeking these surgical procedures. Plastic surgeons and medical institutions do not agree with many of these body modification procedures, despite a huge community of individuals having them done and the fact that despite the fact that humans have been modifying their bodies for thousands of years.

The medical and judicial industry are too quick to assume body modifiers are suffering from mental illness - and yet, cosmetic surgery is widely accepted.

The current law is too restricted to allow people to amend their bodies. Under law artist's like Brendan are criminals, under law people like me are victims of crime - that surely can't be right.

You can hear in the video below how Brendan's sentence will push the body modification community further underground, whilst in reality the law needs reforming and regulations should be brought in.

My Plans to change the Law

I intend to open a Judicial Review via public law should the Government continue to refuse the transformation of individuals who wish to alter their bodies with surgical procedures that fall out of the remit of medical and cosmetic.

A downgrade of the law allowing for scarification, tongue splitting, voluntary amputation, sclera staining, branding and implants will stop serious risk to health and medical conditions from rising in what is already seen as a taboo culture. The benefits of people like Brendan McCarthy offering these procedures are that it is not hidden or underground. 

Everyone involved in body modification knows what they want and the risks involved. The Government should be working with our community to bring regulations in, not prosecuting people for doing consensual work and creating a new breed of Criminal and Consensual Abuse Victims in the process.