Bestiality ban passes NSW upper house

An MP says it’s ‘shocking’ that a particular act intended to sexually gratify is still legal – and has vowed to change it.

An MP has said it's “shocking” that possessing or sharing bestiality videos is not yet illegal in NSW.

But a ban on doing so is now one step closer to being enshrined in law after Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst successfully moved an amendment to the state’s Crimes Act through the parliament's upper house on Friday.

“It is shocking that this amendment was even required,” she said.

If the lower house agrees, the law would be changed to prohibit people from making, sharing or having bestiality material, which means images of humans having sex with animals.

Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst said it was ‘shocking’ the videos were not already illegal. Picture: Toby Zerna

The ban would also apply to animal torture material such as videos of women crushing kittens with stiletto heels, a fetish that exists on dark corners of the internet.

Ms Hurst said an investigation funded by her party had found there were “animal crush” videos being distributed specifically for Australians.

“They are some of the worst videos I have ever seen – and yet, right now in NSW, it is perfectly legal to possess and share these disgusting videos,” she said.

Bestiality and animal crush material were defined in the amendment as “depicting bestiality or … an animal being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled”.

Videos of animals being killed would also be made illegal as long as its “intended to excite or gratify a sexual interest … or a sadistic or other perverted interest in violence or cruelty”.

Ms Hurst claimed there was anecdotal evidence that bestiality videos were commonly discovered among people charged with possession of child abuse material.

“By creating this new offence, police will have a greater ability to prosecute people involved in both child and animal abuse, and it could help obtain stronger sentences for these abusers,” she said.

The act of bestiality is not legal anywhere in Australia.

But Ms Hurst’s office said possessing material depicting the act was legal everywhere except Tasmania.

As for “animal crush” content, no law against it exists in Australia.