New Spanish Research Describes The Link in Domestic Violence and Incarcerated Offenders

Nuria Querol Viñas, head of Spain’s GEVHA Link program, delivered two presentations at the 2012 Stockholm Criminology Symposium describing the impact of animal abuse in domestic violence situations and histories of animal cruelty among incarcerated offenders.In her first paper, she described collaborations between SPCAs and women’s shelters, and a screening program in hospital emergency rooms, to identify Link incidents.

Over a one‐year period, 76% of women reported their animals had been abused as well. In one case, an 8‐year‐old boy who was abused by the father killed a pet fish and tried to kill a canary; the boy also presented for enuresis, fascination for fire, self‐harm, and bullying. 82% of the children reported their pets were sources of comfort and love. In two cases the abuser left aggressive German shepherds and bull terriers behind to further terrorize the family when he left home. “This victimized the women in a way that was new to us,” she said.Her second paper, on criminological and forensic correlations of animal cruelty and antipersonality disorder, described 24 male inmates of the Prison of Barcelona who were evaluated for psychopathy and other possible indicators for New Spanish Research Describes The Link in Domestic Violence and Incarcerated Offenders risk assessment such as cruelty to animals. 23.5% of the inmates had a history of a complete Macdonald triad (cruelty to animals, enuresis and pyromania), while 65% presented an incomplete triad of one or two of the triad behavioral characteristics. Animal abuse was found in 41.7 % of the subsample; pyromania was found in 71% and enuresis in 58.8%.