What is the law and penalties for bestiality in NSW?

• Published date: 06 December 2021
• Subject Matter: Criminal Law, Crime
• Law Firm: Criminal Defence Lawyers Australia

As shocking as it sounds, the act of human sexual relations with animals - a behaviour known as bestiality - has existed since the dawn of human history, in every place and culture in the world.

In fact, according to a study on bestiality and zoophilia based on the findings of scholar Hani Miletski, an abundance of folklore, paintings, sculptures, films, literature and pornography dealing with bestiality themes exists and these date back to prehistoric times.

Whilst during these times, individuals were punished, sometimes tortured and even killed for engaging in bestiality, in the modern day, the sickening behaviour and pre-occupation with bestiality has persisted.

Today, although estimates of the prevalence of bestiality are not possible to determine with few reliable statistics existing, recent examples from the news and academia highlight that the behaviour is not as rare as once thought.

Case Report: January 2018, Australian Man has Sex with Horse

On the night of 22 January 2018, Daniel Raymond Webb-Jackson was caught on camera engaging in sexual relations with a two-year-old horse in Grafton City, New South Wales.

It is alleged the 31-year-old had been breaking into the stables since December the previous year, leaving the horses...