Denmark bans bestiality in move against animal sex tourism

Denmark passed legislation Tuesday banning bestiality, toughening a law that animal rights activists feared was encouraging animal-sex tourism. The bill amends a previous ban on intercourse that harms animals. Farm Minister Dan Jorgensen argued that the previous ban was inadequate, saying in an opinion article, “It’s hard to prove that an animal suffers when a human has sexual intercourse with it, and that is why we must give the animal the benefit of the doubt.” Those voting for the bill said Denmark did not want to remain the last northern European country where bestiality was legal, as this was attracting animal-sex tourists. Germany, Norway, Sweden and Britain previously banned bestiality. A 2011 Justice Ministry report surveyed veterinarians and found that 17 percent of them suspected that a human had had sex with an animal they treated. NYTimes