# Can you rape an animal?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rape-an-animal/309069
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 20, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rape-an-animal/309069 "2005-06-20T16:34:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Axel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Axel)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rape-an-animal/309069/61 "2005-06-26T18:58:04Z")
In BDSM, where some of the actions are ones that are usually considered assault, ‘informed consent’ is key. If some stranger comes along and beats you up, that’s assault; if, with previous consent and safe-words in place, your partner spanks your ace till it bleeds, that’s OK. An animal can never give _informed_ consent. Thus this boy has technically committed rape on the animal.
I agree however with whoever it was that pointed out that this would devalue rape on a human. Thus different charges specifically relating to animal abuse should be sought, and perhaps the charge that was actually filed was specifically animal-related, even though it was reported as ‘rape.’
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### Author:  [@Iguana\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iguana_Boy)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rape-an-animal/309069/62 "2005-06-26T19:40:56Z")
I can’t speak for the US, but here in Scotland ONLY female humans can be raped. IAAL, btw.
This is purely due to the legal definition of the crime, and crimes of that nature on males are treated just as seriously, but they are not called rape.
Interestingly, crimes of that kind on men AND animals (of either sex) fall under the same title - unnatural carnal connection. I didn’t name it - I’m just sayin’…
I didn’t blink at the “and even” comment, but that was certainly due to my legal training kicking in - I simply don’t think of a crime like that on a man (or an animal) as being “rape”.
Rest assured, I do not mimise the effect of such an attack on a man as opposed to a woman, and it is principally for just such a reason - i.e. the reason put forward by **CateAyo** - that I could never refer to doing this to an animal as rape.
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### Author:  [@Axel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Axel)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rape-an-animal/309069/63 "2005-06-26T20:04:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I can’t speak for the US, but here in Scotland ONLY female humans can be raped. IAAL, btw.
Just to clarify matters for anyone else, that’s not the case across the UK.
From [The Observer](http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1061361,00.html):
> [@](#):
>
> The English legal system has recognised male rape for seven years but in Scotland the offence has to be classed as a sexual assault or sodomy.
I was hoping to find something that contradicted your assertion, but sadly you’re right: there’s no legal male rape in Scotland. Ridiculous ☹
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### Author:  [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2005, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rape-an-animal/309069/64 "2005-06-26T23:07:57Z")
I would not do it with a toad;
I would not make it take my load.
(As the thread was in danger of being hijacked in a sensible direction.)
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