[Criminal acts against horses--phenomenology and psychosocial construct].
Since 1993 increasing numbers of violent crimes against horses were recorded in Germany. Meanwhile "Horse Ripping" is accepted as a new criminal phenomenon. It is defined as destructive acts with the aim to harm a horse or the acceptance of a possible injury of a horse, especially killing, maltreatment, mutilation and sexual abuse in sadomasochistic context. The study includes a complete situation report from 1993 to 2000, especially the development of the crime. Criminal events (N = 1035) were analysed about modus operandi, especially the specification of the injuries and regional distribution. The victims were selected of sexual differences in modus operandi and regional distribution.


RESULTS
The perpetrators injure the horses systematically. 25% of the injuries are situated at the genitals and another quarter of the victims are injured at the neck or the head. There is a victim preference for female individuals, which are treated as rape. The injuries are mostly stabs or cuts. The used weapons are knives or spears. First interviews with horse rippers point out that the fixation of the victim horse is not stable. Horses could be just representative victims and the act of horse ripping just a step in a criminal career of violent crimes.
Schedel-Stupperich
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Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie und Zoologisches Museum, Georg Elias Müller Institut für Psychologie, Abt. 5 Wirtschafts- und Sozialpsychologie, Göttingen. AStup@t-online.de
D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006736:Horses / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*