Document type: newscast #LeRendezVousanimal welfare, fromVetAgroSup's Chaire Bien-Être Animal
Author: Marion Weisslinger
Preview: Dominique Autier-Derian, a veterinary behaviourist, talks to us today about the link between the abuse of animals and that of humans. Indeed, there are now increasing numbers of studies, in the English-speaking world in particular, that demonstrate that animal and human abuse often go hand in hand. If there is proven violence against an animal, this can be a marker of more extended violence against all members of a household. It has also been established that adult violence is linked to exposure to acts of violence during childhood, including those committed against animals. In France, the law to combat animal abuse of November 2021 recognised this last risk, since it considers that, in cases of serious abuse, acts of cruelty, or sexual attacks against an animal, the presence of a minor constitutes an aggravating circumstance. It also establishes that, in cases of proven abuse perpetrated by a minor against an animal, the child welfare service must take responsibility for the monitoring and guidance of the minor.
We also discuss with Dominique Autier-Derian the role of the veterinarian in spotting and reporting not just animal abuse, but also human abuse. This role has been confirmed by the adoption of the 2021 law against animal abuse (to return to our original discussion) which authorizes veterinarians to waive the requirement for professional confidentiality in cases of cruelty, serious abuse or sexual abuse perpetrated against an animal. Previously, only state-employed public health veterinarians were under the obligation to report any failure of care likely to "present a serious danger to people or animals" (article L.203-6 of the French Rural Code).
