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.’
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.
