Bestiality

[Rhabbi]

In what jurisdiction? These things aren't universal.

Technically true, but I would imagine that even in Sweden a prosecutor could indict someone who has sex with an animal, here are just a few thoughts from a bestiality group I know of.

Other Points on Laws:

- Having sex with someone else's animal without the owner's permission
is a crime against property, the same as if someone "borrowed" his horse
to haul their carriage without his permission. Remember that horse
thievery was a hangin' offense in the old West.

- Sex in public is "open and gross lewdness." People have been prosecuted
for ordinary sex in a fenced-in backyard and even in a bedroom with the
shades up, on the basis that a child *could have* climbed the fence or
looked in the window and seen something.

- Sometimes prosecutors are imaginative, and will creatively apply
irrelevant laws. For instance, statutory rape if the animal is less
than 18 years old.

- Exposing a child to bestiality is considered child abuse/sexual abuse in
many states. If someone leaves a tape in a VCR and a child hits play and
sees it, that may be considered exposure.

- There may be something in the obscenity laws regarding bestial acts on
video tapes.

- In many states even where bestiality is legal, it IS legally grounds for
divorce.

- To really know the legality, you would have to look at court cases in your
area to see how judges define the laws and whether the law has been
enforced at all and whether acts between humans are equivalent to acts
between a human and an animal.

Just because it is not against the law, does not mean it is legal. If you do it, treat it like you are breaking the law and you will be a lot safer. Again, bestiality is always illegal because if a prosecutor really wants to get creative and ends up charging you with rape, there is no way that you will be able to prove that an animal gave consent. An animal is not capable of giving legal consent.