Quote:
I really do feel sorry for those animals but I'm equally disturbed by the fact that the men are being charged with "crimes against nature" rather than animal cruelty laws.
If the law is more severe in this case I would probably approve of the stricter sentencing, as animal cruelty laws are too often woefully lenient. But "crime against nature" laws are clearly the result of religious morality that is based on the disgust we feel for the abnormal, not the harm done.
In this respect they're similar in all but one respect (that the animal does not consent) to anti-homosexual laws and have no place in secular law. I am, I admit, making assumptions based entirely on the name of the law.
|
Your assumptions appear to be correct. I wasn't sure what a "crime against nature" was myself, and I was surprised to find that it's used synonomously with 'sodomy' and serves to criminalize homosexual sex as well as bestiality. Here is Louisiana's "crime against nature"
statute:
Quote:
14:89. Crime against nature
A. Crime against nature is:
(1) The unnatural carnal copulation by a human being with another of the same sex or opposite sex or with an animal, except that anal sexual intercourse between two human beings shall not be deemed as a crime against nature when done under any of the circumstances described in R.S. 14:41, 14:42, 14:42.1 or 14:43. Emission is not necessary; and, when committed by a human being with another, the use of the genital organ of one of the offenders of whatever sex is sufficient to constitute the crime.
(2) The solicitation by a human being of another with the intent to engage in any unnatural carnal copulation for compensation.
B. Whoever violated the provisions of this Section shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars, or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or both.
|
The alternative charge would seem to be simple or aggravated cruelty to animals. The relevant (I think) parts of that
statute below. Notice the bold at the bottom, though. Apparently cruelty to chickens doesn't qualify as cruelty to animals. Maybe that's why they chose to prosecute under the CAN law.
Quote:
A. (1) Any person who intentionally or with criminal negligence commits any of the following shall be guilty of simple cruelty to animals
(b) Torments, cruelly beats, or unjustifiably injures any living animal, whether belonging to himself or another.
(i) Mistreats any living animal by any act or omission whereby unnecessary or unjustifiable physical pain, suffering, or death is caused to or permitted upon the animal.
(2)(a) Whoever commits the crime of simple cruelty to animals shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.
(b) In addition to any other penalty imposed, a person who commits the crime of cruelty to animals shall be ordered to perform five eight-hour days of court-approved community service. The community service requirement shall not be suspended.
B. (1) Any person who intentionally or with criminal negligence tortures, maims, or mutilates any living animal, whether belonging to himself or another, shall be guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals.
(4) Whoever commits the crime of aggravated cruelty to animals shall be fined not less than five thousand dollars nor more than twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than one year nor more than ten years, or both.
D. For purposes of this Section, fowl shall not be defined as animals.
|
Of course all of this begs the question of whether having sex with animals necessarily hurts them. In the case of the chickens there was physical trauma, so there the answer is obvious. (Although ironically they are not protected, whereas the pig presumably is.) But if there is no physical damage is it still cruel to have sex with an animal? And what besides physical trauma would count as evidence of injury? Maybe the pig was squealing with delight.
On Chicken Fucking
about the pig, but pretty horrified by the chicken? I think it's a size thing: chickens are just so little. That guy injured 7 of them, and he seems to be some kind of dedicated chicken stalker. Who knows how many others he's violated?
Linear Mode
