Sexual violence against animals in India often remains hidden. Gaps in the law and a lack of national data making it difficult to know how many animals suffer.
Voiceless animals cannot tell us what happened to them. There is no national system in India to record such incidents.
And after the removal of Section 377, there is no clear legal rule specifically dealing with sexual violence against animals. This raises the question: how much of this crime actually comes to light?
In Gujarat, India, police in Rajkot recently arrested a man on allegations of sexually abusing a two-year-old cow. Police took action after a video of the alleged act surfaced.
In Rajasthan, cases involving a calf, cows, female dogs and other animals have come to light. Similarly, in Fazilka, Punjab, a man allegedly sexually abused a female dog. Reports of similar incidents involving dogs have emerged in Rewari and Ambala, Haryana, and Sangli, Maharashtra. In some cases, police arrested the accused; in others, the incidents came to light after videos surfaced.
Such cases have reached police in several states across the country.
How many animals suffer abuse in India?
But these incidents do not give us a clear picture of the scale of the problem. India has no national-level data on sexual violence against animals that could show how many cases occur each year.
The data available from animal rights organisations do not provide a national picture either. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, the organisation has received around 50 complaints related to sexual violence against animals since the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replaced the Indian Penal Code.
These complaints involved cows, dogs, goats and horses. However, complaints received by one organisation cannot be treated as the total number of incidents in the country.
The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), in its 2021 report, stated that around 493,910 animals were victims of crimes recorded over ten years. These included cows, dogs and wild animals. The report also recorded cases involving sexual violence,
but the total number of such incidents across India remains unknown.
Cases of sexual violence against animals continue to appear in local and national media, but these reports cannot establish the scale of the crime. Police records also provide an incomplete picture because not every incident is reported.
What police see when cases are reported
Rajendra Bhadu, a retired police officer who served in the Rajasthan Police for 38 years, has seen more than a dozen such cases. According to Bhadu, most involved female donkeys, female camels, cows and goats.
Bhadu says, “Most of the accused in these cases have been adolescent boys. When they develop an attraction towards the opposite sex and do not have an opportunity for normal human relationships, some people may see animals as easy targets. In some cases, this behaviour can also become a habit. The influence of pornography can also be seen in some cases, but the reason is not the same in every case.”
According to Bhadu, animals are often in a serious condition when cases reach the police. “I have seen female camels and goats badly injured and in pain after such incidents. Poor animals cannot even understand what is happening to them and why. They cannot even express their pain.”
He believes that such crimes should carry strict punishment, alongside age-appropriate sex education in schools.
Why do people sexually abuse animals?
Dr Prem Agrawal, a senior psychiatrist at the Government District Hospital in Sri Ganganagar, says that sexual behaviour involving animals cannot be considered normal sexual behaviour. The psychological and social reasons may differ from case to case.
These may include childhood physical or sexual abuse, social isolation, frustration, an inability to form normal human relationships, a desire for control and a lack of empathy towards another living being.
Dr Agrawal says that, rather than relying only on punishment, psychological assessment and counselling should also be considered where necessary. Treatment methods such as cognitive behavioural therapy may be useful in some cases.
According to experts, local beliefs and superstitions have also been mentioned in cases reported from different states. In some places, people associate sexual contact with animals with treating a sexual problem or illness in humans. There is no scientific evidence to support such beliefs.
What happens to the animal after the incident?
Veterinarians play an important role after a case of sexual violence against an animal comes to light. They examine the affected animal and send a medical report to the police. Sexual violence can cause injuries, infections and other health problems in animals.
Dr Kishore Kumar Verma, senior Veterinary Officer in Hanumangarh, says he has come across cases involving cows, buffaloes, dogs and goats. During the examination, veterinarians record the animal’s injuries and health condition, but regular follow-up is not always possible.
“We conduct the medical examination of the animal and send the report to the police. After that, we often do not know where the animal is being treated, whether it is receiving treatment at all, or whether it later developed an infection or any other health problem,” he says.
The first challenge for police is receiving information about an incident and collecting evidence. Cases often come to light through videos or eyewitness accounts. A medical examination of the animal is also an important part of the investigation.
Retired police officer Rajendra Bhadu says that, in some cases, complainants later reach a compromise with the accused, which can affect police action. The animal cannot give a statement about what happened, making medical reports, eyewitness accounts, videos and other evidence particularly important.
Saloni Sakaria, associate manager cruelty response, at PETA India in New Delhi, says her organisation tries to file police complaints in such cases and work with senior officers.
She says that in 2025, the organisation conducted workshops to educate more than 3,000 law-enforcement officials about animal protection laws and procedures.
According to Sakaria, police register First Information Reports (FIRs) in many cases, but further action is not always consistent. PETA says the law should contain a separate, clearly defined offence and punishment for sexual violence against animals.
The link between animal violence and other crimes
Several studies in different countries have examined the relationship between cruelty towards animals and violence against humans. Psychiatrist Dr Agrawal says some studies suggest that people who sexually or physically abuse animals may be more likely to commit violent and sexual crimes against children or women later.
A study published in the Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal warned that people who commit cruelty against animals are three times more likely to commit other crimes.
These include murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats and misuse of drugs or other substances. The major reasons for cruelty towards animals include anger, entertainment, control, fear, dislike, revenge, imitation and sexual pleasure.
PETA India cites this research in its warnings about the relationship between animal cruelty and other crimes.
A separate study published in the Journal of Emotional Abuse found that 71% of women with current or past pet ownership who sought shelter after partner violence reported that their partner had threatened, hurt or killed one or more of their pets.
In India, the man convicted of the rape and murder of a law student in Kerala was also named in a case involving sexual violence against animals. In 2016, police registered a case against him for allegedly committing an unnatural sexual act with a goat.
Similarly, a 57-year-old government employee arrested in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl had earlier sexually abused a goat.
What changed after the removal of Section 377?
The most significant change in India’s legal position on sexual violence against animals came after the repeal of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) replaced the IPC on July 1, 2024.
Section 377 had criminalised “unnatural sexual acts” involving humans and animals. The BNS does not contain a similarly clear, separate provision specifically dealing with sexual acts involving animals.
This legal gap has also reached the Delhi High Court. In May 2025, FIAPO approached the court seeking restoration of the offence of sexual crimes against animals previously covered by Section 377.
The court said it could not direct the legislature to enact such a provision, but observed that the issue may have a substantial impact. It directed the Union government to treat the petition as a representation and decide on it as quickly as possible.
Senior Lucknow High Court advocate Shikhar Singh says the removal of Section 377 is an important legal change for animal protection.
He says, “Section 377 was not limited to relationships between humans. It also covered unnatural sexual acts committed with animals as an offence. Now that the section has been removed, there is no effective provision that independently defines sexual violence against animals and provides a clear punishment for it. General animal cruelty laws can be used in some cases, but they do not provide a sufficiently clear and effective punitive framework for sexual violence against animals.”
Calls for stronger laws to protect animals
According to Singh, an animal cannot express consent or dissent in such an incident. These acts should therefore be viewed as exploitation and cruelty.
Singh: “The law should clearly state that a sexual act with an animal is an offence in itself. There should be a separate and clear provision for it, making it a cognisable offence and providing strict punishment upon conviction. For beings that cannot complain about crimes committed against them or seek justice themselves, the law should be particularly clear.”
PETA India is also demanding an amendment to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to explicitly criminalise sexual violence against animals. The organisation has written to the Union Home Ministry about this.
According to Sakaria, Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita can, in certain circumstances, apply to acts such as killing, poisoning, injuring or rendering animals useless, and may cover some cases of sexual violence. However, the organisation says a separate provision is needed.
The cases that come to light are only part of the problem. Some reach the police, others emerge through videos or eyewitness accounts, and some may never be reported.
The available evidence confirms that sexual violence against animals occurs, but its actual scale remains unknown. The lack of reliable national data makes it difficult to understand the extent of the crime, its causes and the effectiveness of the legal and institutional response.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theanimalreader.com
