Protect people by protecting animals – the link between the two isn’t new
1751 – London, England
The year that William Hogarth of Chiswick, a painter, engraver and animal campaigner created the Four Stages of Cruelty depicting the transition from animal cruelty to murder.
272 years later and our latest campaign, Protect Animals Protect People aims to focus on that connection between those who harm and animals, and those who harm people.
It is a subject that has underpinned our training across Ukraine and other presentations we have made in Canada, Italy, Moldova and then online in Australia and India. It also supported written submissions we’ve made regarding the Online Harms Bill, to the Sentencing Council and to the College of Policing in the UK.
Animal abuse rarely happens in isolation and when public protection agencies understand the link with domestic, child or elder abuse changes to animal legislation and policy can happen.
As an example, Ukraine is the only country in the world that recognises within its criminal code the impact that witnessing animal abuse has on a child’s development.
Sentencing Council of England and Wales
This is the organisation that recommends to the courts what sentences they should give based on a series of ‘harm’ factors.
We have written and suggested that the following are considered ‘high harm’ factors when animal cruelty sentences are given.
- Cases where animal cruelty that have been committed in the presence of children because we know it encourages the cycle of abuse.
- Cases of animal abuse that have a sexual motive because we know it links to child abuse.
- Cases of animal abuse committed as part of coercive control of a human because we know how animals are used within domestic abuse cases.
We should find out this spring whether any of our requests have been supported.
Coercive control
Scottish legislation acknowledges that animal cruelty committed as part of coercive control of a human can be part of a domestic abuse case. This doesn’t just include pets, but it can apply to farm animals too.
In 2022, we made submissions to the College of Policing about the connection between animal and domestic abuse. In November 2022, the college announced that the domestic abuse risk assessment (DARA) would replace the domestic abuse, stalking and honour-based violence questionnaire (DASH) – which is completed by police officers at every domestic abuse call. DARA has an increased focus on coercive and controlling behaviour.
We will be assisting the police as this new system rolls out.
Our nine-point-plan
We had the opportunity in 2022 of welcoming expert speakers on the animal/human violence link from the USA, Canada, Italy and Greece to our Animals in War conference. Teena Stoddart, a former Canadian police officer, and I wrote a nine-point-plan that different countries can refer to. It will ensure their public protection policies recognise the impact of animal abuse on relationships, family units and communities.
You can listen to our expert speakers from our Animals in War Conference speaking on this topic.
Our reference library
There are so many studies and cases that evidence the ‘Link’ from around the globe that we have drawn some of them together as a reference library. We will continue to add to these. Please keep watching and reading to learn why protecting animals helps to protect people too.
Our library of research includes a variety of academic reports, case studies and articles from around the world evidencing that this is a global phenomenon.
Our event
On 7th June 2023, we’ll be at William’s Hogarth’s house in Chiswick, London, where he lived when he campaigned for animals in 1751. We are inviting professionals from England and Wales to discuss legislation and strategy that ensures those who harm animals are recognised for the threats they pose. We have some very exciting speakers arranged. Discover more about this event and follow our social media to stay updated.
A personal note
Having been a police officer, detective and now an animal campaigner, I feel this is a very exciting new piece of work for Naturewatch Foundation aimed at preventing abuse. When abuse is prevented, welfare is advanced. It must be a collaborative effort but working together we can make that change.
There are human victims of animal cruelty and our new campaign ‘Protect Animals Protect People’ aims to protect both animals and people.
