At Last! Denmark Bans Bestiality

Good news! Yesterday, Denmark passed legislation making it illegal for humans to have sex with animals.

The amendment to the Animal Welfare Act is long overdue. Because every other country in Northern Europe had already banned bestiality, there were fears that the country was becoming a hub for animal-sex tourism, as some foreigners visit the country specifically to go to horrific brothels that sexually exploit animals.

A 2011 Ministry of Justice report surveyed veterinarians and found 17 per cent of them suspected that an animal they treated had had intercourse with a human.

After we contacted the Danish government about this disturbing issue earlier this year, we received this reply from the Ministry of Foods, Agriculture and Fisheries:

The Danish government has decided that a ban on sexual relations between humans and animals shall be implemented in the Danish legislation.

Animals must be treated with respect and care and have the right to a high level of protection. When it comes to sexual relations between humans and animals there is a special concern to be taken into account, as the animals cannot consent to enter into a sexual relation with a human being. Another concern is that it can be difficult to identify and document possible physical or mental damage to the animal as a result of the sexual relation with a human being.

Yesterday, the law was finally amended as promised, bringing Denmark into line with other European countries and putting a stop to the deeply disturbing animal-sex industry.

Thank you to the thousands of people who signed our action alert about this and to everyone inside and outside Denmark who’s been working to make this much-needed ban a reality.

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