Animal Sexual Abuse

Jenny Edwards, expert on animal crimes.

I think a considerable number of people are aware that there are various forms of sexual abuse. We also know that it can be difficult to find and prosecute the people who are responsible for this form of violence. But once prosecuted and convicted, that person becomes labelled a sex offender, and is tracked long after the prison sentence has been served.

A more obscure form of sexual abuse takes place between humans and animals, with the human being the aggressor. Jenny Edwards is one person who has been active and pioneering in this area of animal abuse. She is a certified animal control officer and animal cruelty investigator, and has also managed an animal shelter for seven years. She has also been active in rehabilitating animals who have been subjected to animal sexual abuse.



But now, what interests Ms. Edwards the most is continuing to gather research data about this type of animal abuse and educating law enforcement officials, prosecutors, mental health professionals, and researchers about the problem - how to find it and how to fix it. She has said, "Bestiality is a deep social injustice. It is a difficult and sensitive subject that no one wants to think about, but that doesn't stop it from happening. The data I'm collecting doesn't exist anywhere else, in any other form."

Ms. Edwards works along with the CHANDLER EDWARDS GROUP, an agency that assists law enforcement and that also specializes in animal sexual abuse cases. This group has developed professional teams throughout the US, with an educational background specific to this field. They develop the databases that document how extensive this behavior is, along with educating and consulting with law enforcement and other professionals involved with trying to mitigate this problem. The group can also provide expert witnesses when individual cases come to trial.

Among the data tracked is number of arrests for bestiality.

This is a difficult type of work and no other group does it. The cases can be complex, since the offenders are involved in more than one type of sexual abuse, and anyone engaged in animal sexual abuse has a greater tendency to engage in other forms of sexual abuse. And among the other issues is that the laws in many locations have not kept up with the heinous nature of the behaviors. So, Ms. Edwards and the Chandler Edwards Group are also active in helping to develop legislation that addresses this issue. It is multifaceted, as can be seen, and it requires a team effort to address.

Orange County, NY, has created an animal abusers registry, accessible online to the public.

Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/jenny-edwards-data-collection-analysis-animal-sex-abuse-cases-us/; and this article from ICAS North America: https://icasnorthamerica.wordpress.com/jenny-edwards-aci-2014/, along with the above link.

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