“The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different.” Hippocrates
10th May 2023 was a pivotal day for animals in England and Wales, and in Greece.
Athens, Greece
I first made a presentation to Senior Police Commanders in Athens in 2015 to explain the connections between crimes against animals and crimes that were traditionally considered ‘important’, such as terrorism and organised crime.
Many caïques have put to sea across the Aegean since then but, after many years of discussion, campaigning and lobbying, the training of the Hellenic Police about animal abuse will become mandatory from May 10th. This is huge and indicates the seriousness that the current Greek Government attributes to animal welfare. Many who have travelled here will say this is long overdue but, for me, the change really started to happen once there was realisation that animal cruelty wasn’t a minor crime and was connected to other community and domestic abuse-based situations.
One animal rescue shelter owner stated, “So, something amazing happened here on the island. The chief of police and a few policemen went to a workshop in Athens held by some organisation that highlighted the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse. They were completely sensitised and have been on our side and helping us crack down on animal abuse, tremendously, and it’s made such a difference on the island, such a difference. We work with the police now. They understand, and they are incredible allies.”
Greece has a maximum 10-year jail term for felony abuse available to their courts and last year gave that full sentence for the killing of a dog linked to a domestic homicide.
England and Wales
Coincidentally, 10th May is also the date of the latest Sentencing Council guidelines issued in England and Wales about animal abuse. This is the ‘go to’ matrix for the courts to decide on how long an offender should be sent to jail for, and so is very relevant to show how important animal welfare is perceived.
England and Wales have five years as a maximum jail term for many offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. After years of campaigning, the level was raised from the lowest in Europe to this new high that mirrors Scotland.
Statistics show that, in the 10 years between 2011 and 2021, between 6% and 14% of offenders were awarded the maximum (then six months). Data since the increase is unavailable.
However, studying the new guidelines appears to suggest three and a half years may now be the realistic maximum that would be given any ‘Category 1, High Culpability crime’. This is the top level for very serious abuse cases.
Naturewatch Foundation asked for three specific areas to be considered as aggravating factors within sentencing:
- When the abuse was committed in front of children
- When the abuse had a sexual motivation
- When the abuse was part of coercive domestic abuse
We believe these are particular important issues because of the 250-year-old known links between abuse to animals and abuse to people.
We know that when children are subjected to witnessing abuse, they are more likely to become violent. From our studies, we know about the strong connection between animal sexual abuse and child sexual abuse, and we know that animals are often abused as part of domestic abuse coercive control situations.
Indeed, our work in Ukraine has seen Part 3, Article 299 of their Criminal Code formally recognise the impact of children witnessing animal abuse and courts can increase jail terms from five to eight years under these circumstances. The new 2023 England and Wales guidelines do recognise this, and we are extremely grateful that our wishes have been granted.
The Sentencing Council, however, rejected our call to prioritise abuse with a sexual motive as it felt it ‘unnecessary’. Similarly, our request to specifically recognise animal cruelty as part of domestic abuse was rejected as they wanted to keep the list of aggravating factors ‘succinct’.
This was a missed opportunity to recognise the part that animal cruelty plays in the life of those that suffer domestic abuse. We will be discussing this at our ‘Protect Animals. Protect People.’ event on June 7th in London.
Animal fighting
Organised animal cruelty, such as dog fighting, is interconnected with serious and organised crime, drug and gun trafficking. One case in Greece showed that organised crime syndicates operating in the port area were heavily connected to protection rackets,a where violence was used to reinforce debts. Once the police understood how dog fighting worked, they shut down the crime gang, arrested 35 people and seized cash, guns, stolen property and fighting dogs.
One of the headline statements from the Sentencing Council press release states, ‘The changes introduce a new ‘Animal Cruelty’ guideline for the most serious offences, including causing unnecessary suffering, tail docking and animal fighting.’
In 2021, there was just one conviction in England and Wales for animal fighting (none in 2019 and 2020), despite the proven links to organised crime.
Abusers who force dogs to fight each other seemingly still do so in England and Wales with impunity.
Protect Animals. Protect People.
In 1751, William Hogarth (an engraver and animal campaigner in London), created images that depicted the transition from animal cruelty to domestic homicide. Naturewatch Foundation is holding an event at his house in Chiswick for professionals to consider what more could be done to understand the part that animal welfare, and cruelty, plays in domestic partnerships, families and communities.
Of course, sending abusers to jail is just one strand of crime prevention. We’d also like to see serious animal abuse added to the 105+ crimes that are considered ‘dangerous’ under Schedule 15 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, for example. This would effectively create an animal abusers’ registry.
One thing we must do is move away from treating animal cruelty as an isolated minor crime. It’s always much more than that.
Maybe Greece can lead the way?
