Animal abusers 'could go on WA database'

(AAP) A database of people who commit brutal attacks against animals could help prevent those who go on to become murderers or serial killers, West Australian Police Minister Rob Johnson says.

The WA government will consider psychiatric assessments and building a specific
database for people convicted of animal cruelty following a request by the RSPCA, Mr
Johnson said on Sunday.
"There's a correlation between people who commit very violent crimes against other
human beings having in their younger years committed very violent crimes against
animals," the minister told reporters.
"It is a fact that certainly some serial killers throughout the world during their
younger years practise by killing animals and they obviously get some weird
gratification from that.
"These people are sick that commit these crimes against animals, they need treatment."
International research showed between 20 and 40 per cent of serial killers were
involved in animal cruelty in their younger years, Mr Johnson said.
"If we can get those people when they have been convicted of serious cruelty to
these animals, killing them, beheading them, shooting arrows through them, knifing
them, whatever ... then if we can get them treated we might break that cycle of
going from animal cruelty and animal killings to violent serious offences against
human beings," he said.
Mr Johnson said he would seek the cooperation of WA police commissioner Karl
O'Callaghan to create a database of people who commit brutal attacks.
"There is some profiling benefits there and indeed later on in life these people may
well be future murderers," he said.
"We need to profile them, we need to have them on a database so that we can look
back and see what sort of actions these people have taken."
RSPCA WA president Lynne Bradshaw said Australia was lagging behind other developed
countries in recognising the correlation between animal cruelty and criminal
behaviour.
"There is a strong correlation between cruelty to animals and escalating criminal
behaviour including cruelty to human beings," Ms Bradshaw said.
"That's called the cruelty connection.
"The cruelty connection is well recognised in ... the US, the UK, New Zealand, in
fact we're behind the times here at recognising what we call the red flag for human
behaviour.
"So people that want to exhibit power and control over others often start out as
animal abusers and it's very important that it's recognised."
An RSPCA spokesman said infamous American serial killers Ted Bundy and David
Berkowitz (better known as Son of Sam) had both been involved in animal cruelty in
their younger years.
In Victoria, Paul Denyer, who killed three women in Frankston in 1993, had a history
of abusing animals in his childhood, he said.