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1885 and its long shadow: sexual offences in historical context

Hosted by The Open University Legal Histories Research Cluster and the British Sociological Association Global Histories and Sociology Study Group

11 July 2025
Online

About the Event

1885 was a year of scandals, popular outrage and legal change. In May, notorious brothel madam Mrs Jeffries was prosecuted but walked away with a fine, her clients’ confidentiality preserved, while a new law to raise the age of consent from 13 was ‘talked out’ in the House of Commons. In July, sensationalist journalist W T Stead’s exposé of the city’s sexual underworld, ‘The Maiden Tribute of Moden Babylon’, led to popular outrage which forced Parliament to pass a Criminal Law Amendment Act establishing 16 as the benchmark age of sexual consent. The Act also criminalised brothel-keeping, trafficking and – through the notorious Labouchere amendment – gross indecency between males. Before the end of the year, those involved in the Maiden Tribute articles were prosecuted at the Old Bailey; one of the offences was the first reported case of indecent assault by a woman on a female.

The scandals and statute have left a lasting mark which continues to be felt today – not only on the law and its implementation but also on wider social understanding of sex, sexuality and sexual exploitation. This interdisciplinary workshop will explore the events of that year, their consequences and contemporary effects. We expect to follow it with a further event and publication.

Papers will be from a range of disciplinary perspectives, on themes including but not limited to:

  • The Criminal Law Amendment Bills in Parliament
  • Mrs Jeffries, her career and prosecutions
  • The 'Maiden Tribute' publication and prosecution
  • Child sexual abuse and exploitation in historical perspective
  • The age of consent in law and practice
  • The criminal regulation of same-sex activity and the Labouchere amendment
  • Trafficking and 'white slavery' discourses
  • The role of the 19th-century press
  • Campaigning organisations and alliances
  • International and imperial effects
  • Lasting consequences, in areas such as sex trafficking, sexual abuse and sexual offences law
  • Sources, approaches and methodologies

Contact the Organisers

If you have questions, you are welcome to contact Claire Cunnington or Caroline Derry.