Animal welfare
Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (13:52): (466) My question is for the Attorney-General. An explosive investigation from Farm Transparency Project aired on the 7.30 program last week. It revealed a 30-year-old man had been charged with bestiality involving a pig at Midland Bacon in northern Victoria. This man clearly committed multiple forms of sexual abuse in the vision; however, only his final act of penetration is considered illegal. Currently in Victoria the definition of bestiality is shockingly weak and does not capture all forms of sexual abuse against animals. Last year I asked the government to update our bestiality laws to be consistent with states such as New South Wales and Tasmania and ban any act of sexual contact with animals. In light of this evidence, will the government now finally do it?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (13:53): I thank Ms Purcell for her question. I will refrain from reflecting on an individual case, but obviously and appropriately acts of bestiality are illegal in Victoria and covered under the Crimes Act. I am aware of the issues that you raised previously, and you have cited an example today. I am certainly open to ways that we can more appropriately respond to this behaviour through the Crimes Act.
Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (13:53): Thank you, Attorney, for your response. We know that there are people not only committing these sexual acts on animals but watching them too. Over 3000 sadistic videos of this material are for sale in Australia, including videos of the crushing to death, burning, drowning and impaling of kittens, puppies, baby chicks, ducklings, pigs and rabbits. An open-source investigation revealed Victorians are consumers of these sexually perverted videos on dark web pornography sites and crush-specific websites. It is impossible to know just how big the problem is, but we certainly know that it exists. Will the government also make illegal the production, dissemination and possession of bestiality and crush materials?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (13:54): Ms Purcell, I appreciate you bringing this to my attention and your call for action. I cannot go as far as giving you a firm commitment about exactly how to address this, but it is repugnant. We should act, and I am pretty happy to work with you on ways that we can address the concerns that you have raised.