Sex with animals getting common?

More than 200 animals, mostly horses, have been sexually abused in Sweden since the 1970s, the country's animal protection agency said on Friday in its first report on bestiality.

More than 200 animals, mostly horses, have been sexually abused in Sweden since the 1970s, the country's animal protection agency said on Friday in its first report on bestiality.

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The government commissioned the study after reports that sexual abuse of animals could be on the rise in Sweden.

Most of the cases were reported by veterinarians and police after 2000, the study said. But it was not clear if sex with animals had become more common or if people had become more likely to report it, it said.

Authors of the report noted that Sweden had not outlawed bestiality, as had Canada, Britain and some US states. Abusers can only be prosecuted if the animal is physically injured.

The study found 209 cases of sexual abuse of animals, including 161 involving horses, 18 dogs and 17 cattle.