‘Battered pets’: sexual abuse

Abstract

A study of non-accidental injury in small animals in the UK, based on responses from a random sample of small animal practitioners, identified 6 per cent of the 448 reported cases as being sexual in nature. Twenty-one cases occurred in dogs, five in cats and two in unspecified species. Reasons for suspecting sexual abuse were: the type of injury; behaviour of the owner; statements from witnesses; and admission by the perpetrator. Types of injury included vaginal and anorectal penetrative (penile and non-penile) injury, perianal damage, and trauma to the genitals. Some injuries (such as castration) were extreme, and some were fatal. In contrast, other cases revealed no obvious damage. The type and severity of injuries were similar to those described in texts on child abuse and human forensic pathology.

A case of severe anal injury in an adolescent male due to bestial sexual experimentation

“…All other forms of animal genital or anal injury inflicted by humans may then be thought of as ''nonaccidental injury," or ''NAI." 12 Obviously, the term ''zoophilia" remains the psychiatric diagnosis for a human who fantasizes or engages in sexual activity with animals. Though the DSM 4 TR places zoophilia in the ''Paraphilia Not Otherwise Specified Category" it is apparent that pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, frotteurism, and sexual sadism are all generally thought of as sexual criminal activity and involve human victims who undergo distress or injury because of the act.…”

Forensic veterinary medicine: a rapidly evolving discipline

“…A field in which forensic evidence from veterinary surgeons is becoming increasingly important concerns the links between child abuse and domestic violence [20][21][22][23].…”

Animal Abuse and Interpersonal Violence

“…This term is preferred over the more archaic term bestiality (in which sexual intercourse would have to take place) and zoophilia (a strong, erotic preference for animals), neither of which take into account the potential deleterious effects on the animal. 17,55 Sexual abuse of animals parallels that of sexual abuse of women and children and is also problematic because (1) human-animal sexual contact is almost always coercive, (2) such practice often causes pain or death for the animal, and (3) animals are unable to consent or to communicate about their abuse. 18 Likewise, Ascione 11 notes that bestiality may be considered cruel even in cases when physical harm to an animal does not occur, drawing a parallel to cases of adult sexual activity with a child where consent is presumed to be impossible.…”