Why NCRB must document animal abuse data

Violent crimes against animals have an intimate link with violence against humans. The sooner National Crime Records Bureau of India takes cognisance of this face the better it will be for both animals and humans, argues Mishi Aggarwal.

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NOT long ago, India witnessed a spine-chilling rape and murder of Jisha, a young law student from Kerala, found dead in her house with fatal injuries.

During the course of the investigation, police officials discovered that the accused in the case was also the focus of several complaints of bestiality and sexual abuse of animals. However, he was never investigated and tried for these allegations of animal abuse at the time.

What might have been the result of a thorough investigation of this individual in the wake of his alleged crimes against animals? Might it have made a difference for Jisha had authorities recognised the social threat he posed and the potential danger he represented to her and other citizens?

Each year, the National Crime Records Bureau of India (NCRB) releases its annual report on crime statistics from across the country. The report is a critical tool for policymakers and law enforcement agencies, among other audiences.

Yet, while the report includes a list of offences committed under various criminal legislation across the country, it does not include offences committed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, itself a criminal statute. This is a shortsighted approach and one we can easily remedy.

The link

Many researchers across the globe have established a link between violence toward humans and animal abuse. In 2011, Clifton Flynn undertook a review of the existing research on the link between animal abuse and human violence and found that there is a consistent and concerning association between the two.

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In another study of families under investigation for suspected child abuse, researchers found that pet abuse had occurred in 88 percent of the families under supervision for physical abuse of their children.

This link is relevant to several incidents recorded in India. In 2016, a CCTV recorded a man luring some puppies at the Green Park metro station with biscuits, only to violently stab the puppies with a knife.

It later emerged that the accused suffered from underlying psychological issues, and the case underscores how animal abuse can sometimes indicate mental health concerns. If such violent tendencies are discovered and addressed at an early stage, it could prevent potential escalation of such tendencies and save both human and animal lives.

This cuts in the other direction too, as more recently a man in Rajasthan's Alwar was arrested for allegedly raping a cow. After his arrest, the police discovered that the same individual had been convicted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012 for sexually assaulting two minors in separate instances.

The exclusion of animal crimes from comprehensive statistical databases has other negative consequences, too. For example, we may tend to underestimate the prevalence and gravity of animal abuse cases because these are not compiled anywhere, so actual figures never come into public view.

We thus miss the relevance and potential utility of tracking animal-related crimes alongside other crimes.

NCRB on interpersonal violence

As per the NCRB report, India has recorded a 12.3 percent increase in crimes against women in metropolitan cities and a 4 percent increase across states.

Similarly, crimes against children have seen a jump of 7.8 percent in metropolitan cities and 8.7 percent across states. The report clearly depicts an upward trend in crimes against women and children.

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Unfortunately, we are not in a position to draw any such conclusion about animal-related crimes because we do not count or classify them systematically.

It was only after the subject was brought up in the question hour during the 2016 Lok Sabha budget session that the Animal Welfare Board of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provided a limited record of the number of complaints received.

However, since a tiny proportion of cases are brought before the board, there is good reason to suspect a serious underreporting of the actual volume of cases in the country at large.

Even so, based on the limited data that is available, a disturbing connection can be drawn between animal cruelty cases and the incidence of human-centred crimes recorded in the NCRB's report.

Animal Welfare Board of India's current data on animal cruelty complaints suggests that the majority of animal abuse cases are from the states of Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

The NCRB report also shows Delhi as having the maximum crime rate across all states and Union territories, while Uttar Pradesh has seen the highest recent jump in the number of crimes.

Takeaways from the NCRB report

Animal cruelty might not appear to have a significant impact on humans at first glance since it is often viewed as a problem in isolation from other kinds of misconduct.

However, passing over any antisocial behaviour at an early stage is like ignoring a ticking bomb. We can and should begin to use the NCRB report as a means of making the country safer for both humans and animals.

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We need to initiate change on multiple fronts— including policy development and implementation, and public awareness— and to achieve that change we need to ensure that there is greater availability of data and statistics concerning crime in India, including crime that threatens animals.

Appropriate documentation of crimes against animals will generate a better understanding of the link between cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence, and lead us to appropriate law and policy reforms.

The data could also be used to broaden support for the work animal welfare organisations have to undertake and strengthen their tactical interventions through partnerships with law enforcement agencies or with other nonprofits working in the interests of human welfare.

We cannot achieve a crime-free society unless there are mechanisms in place to deter antisocial behaviour and to develop those mechanisms we need a comprehensive database that incorporates the crime of cruelty to animals alongside other criminal actions.

When we have those statistics in hand, we will be able to address our need for both preventative strategies and appropriate laws for animal-related crimes. Data-driven policies can play a key role in effective law enforcement and creating a safer society.

Complaints of animal abuse must be included in the NCRB's annual report along with all other crimes for relevant stakeholders to act upon.