A call by two Dutch sexologists for "virtual" child pornography to be legalised so as to assuage paedophiles' desires has sparked fierce debate in the Netherlands.

Sexologists Rik van Lunsen and Erik van Beek of Amsterdam University Hospital (AMC) last month floated the idea of creating child pornography using drawings or computer-generated images.

Virtual child pornography - including drawings, paintings or computer-generated images - was made illegal in 2002.

"If you make virtual child pornography under strict government control with some kind of label explaining that no child was abused, you can give paedophiles a way of regulating their sexual urges," Van Beek said, calling for an enquiry or at least public debate on the issue.

Virtual child pornography — including drawings, paintings or computer-generated images — was made illegal in 2002 as rapidly developing technology made increasingly photo-realistic images possible.