Women's refuge to burn '50 Shades' books

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WASHINGTON, TYNE AND WEAR, England, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A British domestic violence charity said it will burn copies of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy because it promotes sexually abusive behavior.

Wearside Women in Need will hold the book-burning event Nov. 5 at its offices in Washington, Tyne and Wear in England, Britain's The Guardian reported Friday.

Clare Phillipson, director of the organization, said she opposes the U.S. books because 13- and 14-year-old girls will pick them up thinking the behavior depicted on the pages is acceptible.

"It really is about a domestic violence perpetrator, taking someone who is less powerful, inexperienced, not entirely confident about the area of life she is being led into, and then spinning her a yarn. Then he starts doing absolutely horrific sexual things to her ... He gradually moves her boundaries, normalising the violence against her. It's the whole mythology that women want to be hurt," Phillipson said.

Behavioral psychologist Jo Hemmings said she believes domestic violence has nothing to do with the consensual, adult acts the characters engage in for pleasure in the books.

"I find this whole issue of associating what is essentially a love story, a work of fiction/fantasy -- between two willing and consenting adults, [and] behind closed doors -- and the idea of physically abusing someone against their will quite baffling," Hemmings said.