Note : The term "bestiality" refers, for some of countries, to all sexual acts of a non-heterosexual nature between consenting adults.

 

Legislation by country:

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Germany :

• Article 184a of the Penal Code

  • Anyone who publishes pornographic content (§ 11 paragraph 3) with the subject of acts of violence or sexual acts between humans and animals shall be punished by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine.

  • 1.broadcast or made available to the public, or

  • 2.manufactures, obtains, supplies, stores, offers, advertises or undertakes to import or export it for the purpose of using it within the meaning of point 1 or to enable any other person to do so.

  • 2 In the cases referred to in sentence 1 number 1, the attempt shall be punishable by law.

• Distribution of pornographic, violent or animal content

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Australia :

Bestiality is illegal, but each Australian state can repeal the legislation if desired.

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Belgium :

Is not legally defined, but has been unofficially considered a misdemeanor since 2007. Possible conviction for public indecency.

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Bulgaria :

Zoophilia is not sanctioned by law; Physical cruelty to an animal is punished.

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Canada :

Section 160(1) of the Criminal Code, Part V, prohibits bestiality.

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Danemark :

Zoophilia is penalized since 2015.​​​​

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Ethiopia :

Bestiality is illegal and "punishable by law".

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Finland :

Zoophilia is legal as long as no physical injury is inflicted on the animal54; Formerly recognized as illegal but legalized in 1971. Sharing pornographic zoophile videos is legal, but trading them is illegal.

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France :

• Law of 30/11/2021

• "Sexual abuse of a domesticated animal, tamed or kept in captivity is punishable by three years' imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros." 40. As an additional penalty, the court may prohibit the keeping of an animal, whether permanently or not, as well as registration with the FIJAIS.

• "Art. 521-1-3.-The act of proposing or soliciting acts constituting sexual abuse of an animal as defined in Article 521-1-1, by any means whatsoever, is punishable by one year's imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros."

• "Art. 521-1-2.-The act of complicity in serious abuse, acts of cruelty or sexual abuse of a domesticated animal, tamed or kept in captivity, provided for in the first paragraph of Articles 521-1 and 521-1-1, and is punishable by the penalties provided for in the same Articles 521-1 and 521-1-1, the fact of knowingly recording, by any means whatsoever and on any medium whatsoever, shall constitute an act of complicity in serious abuse, acts of cruelty or sexual abuse of a domesticated animal, tamed or kept in captivity, and shall be punishable by the penalties provided for in the same Articles 521-1 and 521-1-1, and shall be punishable by the penalties provided for in the same Articles 521-1 and 521-1-1, the fact of knowingly recording, by any means whatsoever and on any medium whatsoever, images relating to the commission of the offences mentioned in this paragraph. It is an act of complicity in the mistreatment of an animal and is punishable by the fine provided for fourth class offences, to knowingly record, by any means whatsoever and on any medium whatsoever, images relating to the commission of the aforementioned offence of ill-treatment.

• "The act of disseminating the recording of such images on the internet is punishable by two years in prison and a fine of 30,000 euros.

• "This article shall not apply when the recording, possession, dissemination or consultation of these images is intended to make a contribution to a public debate in the public interest or to serve as evidence in court."

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Ghana :

Zoophilia is illegal. "Unnatural carnal knowledge" is not permitted under the Criminal Code ofGhana.64

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Hungary :

Zoophilia is legal; Physical cruelty to an animal is punished.

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India :

Zoophilia is illegal under Section 377 of the CPI (Indian Penal Code).

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Japan :

Zoophilia is not mentioned in the law, but physical cruelty to the animals is punishable.

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Mexico :

Bestiality is legal.

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Norway :

Besticity has been illegal since 2008. (sources)

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Netherlands :

Bestiality has been legal since 2010.

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Romania :

Zoophilia is legal; Physical cruelty to an animal is punished.

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Russia :

Zoophilia, like all practices other than heterosexual between consenting adults, is considered a mental illness and can be equivalent to compulsory psychiatric internment; If the owner of the animal files a complaint, it can become a crime that can be punished by prison.

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Spain :

Bestiality is not legally reprimanded, but there are laws against animal abuse.​

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Switzerland :

• Article 135 of the Criminal Code:

  • 1 Anyone who manufactures, imports, deposits, puts into circulation, promotes, exhibits, offers, shows, makes available, makes available, acquires, obtains electronically or in any other way or possesses sound or visual recordings, images, other objects or representations that insistently depict acts of cruelty to adults or animals or ineffective acts of cruelty to minors that seriously violate human dignity, without any cultural or scientific value worthy of protection, shall be punished by deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding three years or by a financial penalty. If the objects or representations contain actual acts of violence against minors, the perpetrator shall be punished by deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding five years or a financial penalty.

  • 2 Anyone who consumes or, for his own consumption, manufactures, imports, takes on deposit, acquires, obtains electronically or in any other way or possesses objects or representations within the meaning of para. 1, 1st sentence, shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding one year or by a financial penalty. If the objects or representations contain actual acts of violence against minors, the perpetrator shall be punished by deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding three years or a financial penalty.

  • 3 Objects are confiscated.

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• Article 197 of the Criminal Code:

  • 4 Anyone who manufactures, imports, deposits, puts into circulation, promotes, exhibits, offers, shows, makes available, makes available, acquires, obtains electronically or in any other way or possesses objects or representations referred to in para. 1, which contains sexual acts with animals, acts of violence between adults or sexual acts of an ineffective nature with minors, shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding three years or by a financial penalty. If the objects or representations contain actual sexual acts with minors, the penalty is a custodial sentence of up to five years or a financial penalty.

  • 5 Anyone who consumes or, for his or her own consumption, manufactures, imports, takes on deposit, acquires, obtains electronically or in any other way or possesses objects or representations referred to in para. 1, which contains sexual acts with animals, acts of violence between adults or ineffective sexual acts with minors, shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding one year or by a financial penalty. If the objects or representations contain actual sexual acts with minors, the penalty is a custodial sentence of up to three years or a financial penalty.

  • 6 In the event of an offence within the meaning of paragraphs 4 and 5, the objects shall be confiscated.

  • 7 If the perpetrator acts with the intention of enrichment, the judge shall impose a pecuniary penalty in addition to the custodial sentence.

  • 9 The objects and representations referred to in paras. 1 to 5 that have a cultural or scientific value worthy of protection are not pornographic in nature.

 

Türkiye :

Bestiality, like all non-heterosexual practices between adults who are either single or married together, is considered a crime punishable by imprisonment.

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United Kingdom :

Sexual Offences Act (2003):

• A person commits an offence who:

  • intentionally performs an act of penetration with his penis,

  • what is penetrated is the vagina or anus of a living animal, and

  • He knows it, or he doesn't care if it's what is being penetrated.

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• A person (A) commits an offence if:

  • A intentionally causes or allows penetration of A's vagina or anus,

  • penetration is through the penis of a living animal, and

  • A knows this, or does not care whether it is by this that A is penetrated.

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• A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable

  • on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to a fine not exceeding the law, or to both;

  • on indictment, to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 2 years.

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United States :

• Recognized as a serious or "unnatural" crime: North Carolina, Louisiana and Puerto Rico

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• Recognized as a major crime in the following states:

  • Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington

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• Recognized as a misdemeanor in the following states:

  • Alaska, Arkansas, Californie, Floride, Iowa, Louisiane, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, État de New York, Dakota du Nord, Oregon, Pennsylvanie, Utah et Wisconsin.​​

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Zambia :

Zoophilia is illegal. Article 115 of the penal code prohibits "unnatural acts", including "carnal relations with an animal".

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References:

Article L512-1-1 - Internal Security Code - Légifrance (legifrance.gouv.fr)

Fight against animal abuse (Legislative file in unfolded version) - National Assembly (assemblee-nationale.fr)

Articles | Animal Legal & Historical Center (animallaw.info)

Zoophilia — Wikipédia (wikipedia.org) (27/04/2024)

SR 311.0 - Swiss Criminal Code of 21 December 1937 | Fedlex (admin.ch)