Badger Trust calls for Animal Crime to be included in Online Safety Bill
- Badger Trust Staff Team
- Jun 9, 2022
- 4 min read
Call for Government to recognise the link between cyber-enabled wildlife crime and badger persecution and the harm caused to society.
In the UK’s first major exploration of the link between cyber-enabled wildlife crime and badger baiting, Badger Trust shines a spotlight on the role of the internet in enabling the organisation of violent crimes against badgers and the harms that they cause. As a result, Badger Trust is calling on the Government to include badger baiting, alongside other crimes against animals, in the Online Safety Bill, which is being debated in Parliament in the coming weeks.
Online Safety Bill does not list animal cruelty offences or wildlife crime as harmful or illegal activities despite the harm witnessing animal abuse causes
The Bill seeks to establish an accountability framework for online technology companies to better protect users from illegal and harmful content encountered on online platforms. Yet, at present, the Bill does not list animal cruelty offences or wildlife crime as harmful or illegal activities, despite the interconnection between badger baiting and violent crimes against humans and the psychological harm witnessing animal abuse causes.
As the leading voice for badgers in England and Wales, Badger Trust urges the Government to recognise the link between cyber-enabled wildlife crime and badger persecution and the harm these activities cause to society.
Peter Hambly, Executive Director of Badger Trust, commented: “The sharing of horrific crimes against animals has exploded online in recent years.”
“Crimes against badgers, such as badger baiting, are some of the most commonly shared animal crimes on platforms such as TikTok.”
“The Online Safety Bill needs to address this to better protect badgers and the predominantly young people being exposed to these horrific crimes. Tougher controls and sentences are needed to stop this growing violence and its sharing on internet platforms.”
Cyber-enabled wildlife crime is on the rise
Cyber-enabled wildlife crime – crimes against wild animals which are facilitated by the internet – is on the rise as online technologies become more widespread. Wildlife traffickers and bloodsport enthusiasts are using the internet to trade animals and promote cruelty towards wildlife, and more young people are being exposed to these illegal and harmful activities in online spaces. One of the leading harmful animal-based cruelty activities proliferating online is badger baiting and sett digging, the intentional act of digging out badgers from their setts and setting upon them with dogs.
Cyber-enabled wildlife crime and the illegal persecution of badgers are two of five UK Wildlife Crime Priorities as set out by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Both these crimes are recognised by the Police to be causing significant harm to wildlife, the environment, and human society.
Not only is badger baiting an activity prohibited under the Protection of Badgers Act (1992) and the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1989), but the harm caused to the dogs involved also breaches the Animal Welfare Act (2006) . Baited dogs often suffer severe facial injuries from fighting with badgers which are left without veterinary treatment as the baiters fear being reported.
Despite its illegal status, badger baiting remains a common activity, and young people are now also filming the violent, and often fatal, attacks for later viewing and sharing on social media. Second only to road traffic instances, badger baiting is the most common reason badgers receive veterinary attention in the UK and reported instances of badger baiting increased by 55% from 2019 to 2020.
By sharing footage of badger baiting to popular social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, badger baiters are not only normalising scenes of violence against badgers, but criminal gangs are using these sites as ways to recruit new badger baiters. In the 2019 undercover BBC exposé, it was reported that criminal gangs were networking on Facebook to organise badger baiting activities. And a recent spate of badger baiting prosecutions used social media footage as evidence.
Those involved in illegal badger persecution are also often involved in other criminal activities. It is therefore vitally important that the Government recognises the harms caused to wildlife, domestic animals, and young people through legislation that targets online sharing of these activities.
The Online Safety Bill is currently in the committee stage within the House of Commons and Badger Trust is continuing to highlight the issue of badger persecution crimes through its campaigns.
Further Information:
Badger Trust PBA30 Campaign
2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the Protection of Badgers Act (1992), a landmark piece of legislation in badger protection. During the three decades since the passing of the Act, sentencing related to animal welfare has moved on, and there's a glaring inequality for crimes against badgers.
Under the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, those committing the most serious animal cruelty crimes to a domestic animal in England and Wales can face prosecution with up to five years in prison. However, similar animal cruelty committed against a wild badger can only be given a maximum of a six-month prison sentence under the Protection of Badgers Act.
How you can report badger crime and suspicious incidents
Recording and reporting badger crime helps investigators bring offenders to justice.
If a badger crime or suspicious incident is in progress:
call 999 and ask for police assistance
ensure you get a reference number for your call
If a badger crime has already happened:
call the police on their non-emergency number 101, or online to your relevant police force using “report a crime”.
ensure you get a reference number for your call
In all cases, keep yourself safe and do not approach or disturb the scene.