In the German city of Hameln, a trial against a pig farmer accused of animal cruelty has concluded. The court imposed a fine of €36,800 (160 daily rates of €230), designated him as a convicted citizen, and ordered him to cover procedural costs of €15,000. This was reported by finanznachrichten.de.
In 2022, the animal protection organization ANINOVA released a video filmed on a farm in Hessisch Oldendorf, Germany. The footage captured sick and injured pigs, including individuals with bleeding tails. The animals were not provided with veterinary care. The video also showed workers treating the pigs cruelly, causing them physical pain, while the farm owner used prohibited electric shock devices to herd the animals into transport. A total of about 850 pigs were kept on the farm for fattening.
According to reports, the publication caused a wide public outcry. ANINOVA approached the prosecutor's office requesting to hold the farm owner criminally accountable. As a result of the investigation, a fine of 110 daily rates (approximately €25,300) was imposed, but the farmer appealed this decision in court.
Ultimately, based on the video recordings provided by the animal rights activists, the court established that in 14 cases, the pigs had suffered significant pain and distress, which was classified as animal cruelty. The court noted that it “did not see remorse in the farmer's behavior” and issued a ruling on fines and a criminal record.
“Although we hoped for a stricter punishment for animal cruelty, we are satisfied with the outcome, as in the past similar cases often went unpunished,” said ANINOVA CEO Jan Pfeifer. He emphasized that such incidents indicate deficiencies in the work of German regulatory authorities. According to official information, fattening enterprises in Germany are inspected on average once every 17 years, and in Lower Saxony, once every 21 years.
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