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Jura residents demand action over zoophilia

Caroline Bishop
Caroline Bishop - [email protected]
Jura residents demand action over zoophilia
Photo: Bruce Guenter

Authorities in the canton of Jura have called for calm after a series of acts of zoophilia against horses sparked outrage among the local community.

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An attempted seventh act of zoophilia – defined as sexual fixation on animals – took place over the weekend in a farm in Vicques, reports news agency ATS.

Local radio station RFJ said the attempted abuse was thwarted when the perpetrator was surprised by the return of the farm’s owners and fled the scene.

It’s the latest in a string of incidents in the Val Terbi, in the district of Delémont.

At the beginning of February one man received an eight-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of three acts of abuse against animals committed in the village of Courroux, reports ATS.

But since then the area has seen several new cases of sexual abuse against horses.

Local residents have vented their anger and disgust on social media, with Facebook group ‘Stop  zoophilie Courroux’ attracting 1,334 likes.

“The authors of the page feel the population isn’t supported by the authorities or the police, and they are living in fear,” said RFJ.

Concerned the page could incite residents to take matters into their own hands, on Wednesday the Jura public prosecutor called for calm, saying that incitement to violence is a criminal offence.

It is important that the investigation can be carried out calmly, he said.

Responding with a Facebook post, the group said: “This page is not created to call for violence... We are asking our justice system what steps are in place to remedy this situation of which we are victims.”

An investigation into the zoophilia is underway, reports ATS, but as yet no one has been arrested.

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