In a move that some Danish officials have found embarrassing, Denmark has approved a law banning sex with animals.

In a 91-75 vote Tuesday, Danish lawmakers approved banning sex with animals. Five abstained from voting.

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Debate over the law centered on whether or not existing laws went far enough to protect animals.

Members of libertarian party Liberal Alliance and Denmark's Ethical Council for Animals, an independent advisory council, among other groups, voiced opposition to the law.

“Best case, this is a superficial law. Worst case, it is political populism and moralism,” Liberal Alliance's Joachim Olsen said earlier this year.

The existing law already makes harm against animals illegal, so Bengt Holst, head of the Ethical Council for Animals, said last fall that an amendment was unnecessary.

An outright ban, however, puts Denmark in line with several European neighbors, including Germany, Sweden and Norway.

The law proposal had been introduced in February by Denmark's farming minister, Dan Joergensen, who wanted to tighten the law on animal welfare and protection. In April, he said offenders "must be made aware that we find maltreatment of animals absolutely unacceptable."

"The current legislation does not protect the animals enough," he wrote in an opinion piece. "It's hard to prove that an animal suffers when a human has sexual intercourse with it, and that is why we must give the animal the benefit of the doubt."

As of July 1, a person found guilty of having had sexual relations with an animal will face fines or prison terms.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press