Harsher penalties should be given to animal abusers, who often direct their violence toward women and children, SPCA president Mrs. Sue White said yesterday.

The correlation, she argued, calls for stricter penalties than those levied by Bermuda's courts. And she hopes to address the system on the idea in the near future.

"We've been concerned for some time at the incidents of animal abuse in Bermuda and the punishment levied against perpetrators,'' she said. "Fines range from $50, which is really only the cost of licensing a female dog, to $250. We feel the punishers are not really understanding the crime that animal abuse is.

"We're not saying that this is the case in Bermuda,'' she said, "but most serial killers have been animal abusers. Psychological studies have shown animal abuse indicates symptomatic problems of child abuse and psychological disturbances in some way. People who are convicted of abusing animals are likely to abuse (persons).'' Mrs. White said offenders face a maximum fine of $5,000 under the Dogs Amendment Act and she would like to see the $1,000 penalty given to persons convicted under the Care and Protection of Animals Act increased to at least that amount.

"Animal cruelty is very much a fact of life,'' she said. "Several are scalded with boiling water, last year teenagers were going around killing cats by crushing them with concrete blocks, animals have been left at the dump and found crawling with maggots, they've been put on chains and outgrown the collars and they eat through their necks.

"In one case a young dog starved to death in someone's back yard. The boy walked out of court laughing with a $50 fine, probably to go out and get another dog.'' Mrs. White addressed the issue after Mrs. Kim Young, president of the Women's Advisory Council, said the group would be investigating support systems available to women who have suffered from violence.

"We're investigating the support systems available and when we're finished we intend to make recommendations to the Premier,'' Mrs. Young said. "We realise there has been an increase in domestic violence and violence against women and as a result, we're not taking the matter lightly.'' Mrs. Young said the group will be examining physical abuse centres, social assistance and psychological counsellors among others with a hope of finishing by summer's end.

Mrs. White said harsher penalties imposed against animal abusers might prevent them from taking their violence further. She said that in England, laws are now being passed or in the process of being passed forbidding entire households from owning animals if a member is convicted of animal cruelty. And she hoped the same could happen here.

She said the Attorney General had expressed sympathy toward the SPCA's cause.