We know that the sort of person who commits domestic violence will often enjoy violence against animals. The two go together. This is a good example. It is a story by KIRO 7 News from the Ranier Beach area of Seattle, USA. Zach Grayson held his girlfriend captive at her home for three days using physical force. She managed somehow to talk him into allowing her to leave the property. By the time she returned Grayson had beheaded her child’s pet lizard and hung the body from the ceiling. The police are investigating and have asked the public to help them locate Grayson. They believe that he may be in Seattle for Federal Way.
Associated page: FBI to Begin Tracking Animal Cruelty Cases
The FBI use animal abuse to predict other crimes. I guess the two sorts of crimes are so solidly linked. Many victims of domestic violence live with pets. They are vulnerable to abusers who sometimes use animal abuse to control and intimidate their victims.
Research has found a clear link between the two. A 2017 US study found that 89% of women who’d been abused said that the perpetrator had threatened, harmed or killed the family pet.
Forty-eight per cent of victims report that they delayed escaping the relationship because they feared for the safety of their companion animal.
And in another study covering the USA, 85% of domestic violence shelters said that their clients reported incidents of pet abuse.
Pet abuse is one of four main predictors of domestic violence as per a study conducted by Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell (1994-2000).
There are other studies. The link is firmly established. Grayson’s behaviour is a classic example.
