'Police must warn women if partner abused animals'
Police should tell women if their partners have abused animals to prevent domestic violence, ministers have been warned.
Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers, who is also a vet, said anyone convicted of sexually abusing an animal should also automatically be placed on the sex offenders register.
He added: "The evidence is clear: deliberate violence towards animals can be an early warning sign of domestic abuse and other violent offending.
"Yet our safeguarding systems still fail to connect the two. The Government should make two simple changes.
"First, convictions for deliberate animal abuse should trigger disclosure under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, which allows police to warn someone at risk from an abusive partner.
"Secondly, anyone convicted of sexually abusing an animal should automatically be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
"At the moment, animal cruelty convictions and domestic abuse risk assessments sit in separate systems that don't routinely speak to each other."
Mr Chambers echoed the calls of the mother of a woman murdered and dismembered by her husband.
Nicholas Metson is serving a life sentence for stabbing Holly Bramley, 26, to death at their Lincoln home in March 2023, having previously tortured and killed her pets.
Holly's mother, Annette Bramley, said there was a link between abuse of animals and humans, adding: "Had there been a register with his name on there that we could have looked at, perhaps Holly might be here today."
The government has said it recognised "the link between pet abuse and domestic abuse" and was working with vets to spot signs of abuse.
David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, said: "Establishing an animal abuse register is an emotive issue.
"The current framework poses a significant challenge: even though courts can disqualify individuals from animal ownership, there is currently no central system for animal rescue centres, charities or private individuals, including animal breeders, pet shops, or animal care companies, to check whether someone is banned from keeping animals before selling or rehoming an animal, or employing someone to care for animals.
"Gaps also extend to local authorities who grant licenses to animal businesses. While legislation already states that people convicted of animal cruelty are ineligible to run animal businesses such as pet shops - knowledge to enforce these rules is key.
"We must find a system that helps everyone ensure that disqualified abusers cannot bypass the law and own, get access to or work with animals - whilst respecting that information is only provided appropriately to selected enforcers, to prevent vigilante and other anti-social actions.