Residents sign petition to kick out man caught raping dog

ISTANBUL

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Residents of Istanbul's Ataşehir district have been collecting signatures to kick a man out of their neighborhood after he was caught raping a dog, daily Radikal reported.
 
The man was convicted following the rape but was released on a 250-Turkish Lira fine soon after. Unsatisfied with a mere fine, however, locals began supporting a campaign launched by the dog’s owner to kick the man out of the neighborhood, saying they did not want to live in the same area as someone convicted of bestiality.
 
The owner of the dog filed another complaint about the rapist, accusing him of violating his private property rights and raping his dog.  
 
Recent reports of sexual abuse of animals have been receiving heavy media attention in Turkey. An 80-year-old man in the Ereğli district of the Central Anatolian province of Konya was recently caught half-naked while allegedly raping a cow, while another man was released after being convicted of raping a duck.
 
Article 5199 of the Protection of Animals Act criminalizes sexual intercourse with animals but the punishment is a mere 250-Turkish Lira fine. A recent draft law seeks to penalize animal abuse within the Turkish Penal code, which, if accepted, would result in prison terms for those who torture or rape animals while bringing monetary fines up to date.