Following a concerted campaign by Guy to get the Government to tighten the law on animal sexual abuse or "ASA", Ministers have listened to concerns and amended legislation going through Parliament. It is a good start, but it does not go far enough.
During the Report Stage of the Crime and Policing Bill, Guy welcomed the Government's response to the concerns he had raised, and paid tribute to those who had campaigned on the issue.
He said: "The Government has clearly listened carefully to the arguments and to the strength of feeling in the House and have acted on that. I am grateful to the Minister [Baroness Levitt] for meeting me—along with my colleagues from across the sector, especially ... David Martin and Paula Boyden, to whom I pay tribute for their tireless work and insight—to discuss these issues in depth."
Saying that "this is a really important step forward, both in terms of animal welfare and in recognising the link between animal sexual abuse and domestic abuse and violence", Guy highlighted three outstanding issues.
- One, there are no powers of disqualification for individuals convicted of ASA or specific powers to deprive the offender of any animals they own at the time of their conviction. Guy said: "The best way to protect animals is to ensure that those inclined to commit such despicable crimes are banned from owning them or having access to them."
- Two, there is a discrepancy between the maximum sentence for physical animal abuse, which is five years, and for ASA, which will be set at two years. Guy argued: "This could be said to convey the message that animal sexual abuse is less of a crime than physical animal abuse."
- Three, the changes to the law do not deal comprehensively with the issues around the possession and sharing of animal pornography, and again there are no powers of disqualification or deprivation for imagery offences involving ASA.
While again welcoming the changes, Guy said he will continue to press the Government on these points. The full text of the debate can be read here.
ENDS
