Up to 20 Years Jail for Animal Sexual Abuse and Bans on Owning Animals or Working with Children
Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025
Private Member's BillLegislative Council
Legislative Assembly
Assent
Topics
animal abuse animal sexual abuse animal welfare child safety criminal penalties employment screening public safety
Introduced by: Alex Greenwich MP (IND); Emma Hurst MLC (AJP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Michael Daley ALP
“The New South Wales Government supports the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025 and acknowledges the extensive work done by the Hon. Emma Hurst, MLC, in bringing this bill to the Parliament. My office worked closely with the Hon. Emma Hurst and her office on the development of amendments to her bill that were carried in the other place. I thank them for their collaboration.”
James Griffin LIB
“I acknowledge the Hon. Emma Hurst, who is in the advisers area, and commend her for bringing forward the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025. It is sad and incredibly concerning that these laws need to exist at all, but we heard at length about their necessity in the detailed debate in the Legislative Council.”
Karen McKeown ALP
“I acknowledge the presence of the Hon. Emma Hurst, MLC, in the advisers area, and I thank her for bringing the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025 forward. I am happy to speak in support of the bill in its current form. The bill closes gaps in the criminal law by ensuring that abhorrent conduct is criminalised while preventing legislative overreach and unintended consequences.”
Liesl Tesch ALP
“I contribute to debate on the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025. After substantial amendment by the Government in the Legislative Council, we consider the bill in its current form as legislation that will close the gaps in the criminal law. It ensures that abhorrent conduct is appropriately criminalised while also preventing overreach or unintended consequences.”
Jacqui Scruby IND
“I speak in support of the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025. I acknowledge the Hon. Emma Hurst, who has brought the bill to Parliament, and the member for Sydney. I speak often in my community about animal rights issues, because they are frequently brought to me. During the election period, people spoke to me at booths about animal rights issues.”
Sally Quinnell ALP
“Before I begin my speech on the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025, I offer a warning to anyone who is reading, listening or watching. It can be a confronting topic. I acknowledge the importance of the bill. As the member for Pittwater just pointed out, discussing this issue causes a visceral reaction. It is horrific, but that is the importance of it.”
Julia Finn ALP
“The Government supports the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025 and acknowledges the extensive work done by the Hon. Emma Hurst, MLC, in introducing it.”
Donna Davis ALP
“The Government supports the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025. We acknowledge the impressive work conducted by the Hon. Emma Hurst in introducing the bill to the Parliament and thank her for her commitment to and passion for reform in this area. I note that the Government made substantial amendments to the bill in the Legislative Council.”
“I contribute to debate on the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025.”
Jihad Dib ALP
“I have been present at the table to listen to the contributions of other members in debate on the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025. They have been quite moving. It is also disturbing that we need to introduce a law such as this because, somewhere out there, people think that sort of behaviour is acceptable. As my colleagues have said, the Government supports the bill.”
Nathan Hagarty ALP
“I speak on the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025. This bill, as amended in the other place, represents a carefully balanced and significant modernisation of criminal law in relation to the sexual abuse of animals.”
Alex Greenwich IND
“I thank, most importantly, the Hon. Emma Hurst and her team for their leadership in bringing this important legislation to and through the Parliament. I also acknowledge my staff member Tammie Nardone for the work she has done on this legislation. Members have gone through in detail the purpose of this bill and what it will achieve. I highlight that the Hon.”
News articles and press releases
Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025
Mr ALEX GREENWICH, Member for Sydney — 2025-10-23
The bill, drafted and introduced by the Hon. Emma Hurst, MLC, of the Animal Justice Party in the other place, will close those loopholes and ensure offences reflect the broader nature of cruel and sordid sexual acts being committed against animals. I acknowledge the Hon. Emma Hurst has joined us in the advisers area for the debate on this very important piece of legislation. The bill will replace the offence of bestiality with a broader offence of animal sexual abuse. "Bestiality" is not defined and relies on old case law, limiting the offence to penetration or sexual intercourse. The new offence for animal sexual abuse will include not only penetration and sexual intercourse but also forcing an animal to be subject to oral sex acts. The penalty for the offence will remain the same as the existing penalty for bestiality, a maximum of 14 years in prison.