Criminal proceedings - Fawn killed during mowing work: criminal proceedings dropped
The Bad Homburg Magistrate Court has temporarily halted the criminal proceedings against an employee of a farming operation for violating the Animal Welfare Law regarding the killing of a kitten on a meadow in the Hochtaunus district. There is no concrete evidence that the man knowingly allowed the kitten's death during the meadow mowing in the Hochtaunus district, stated the judge. The kitten had one leg and half a jaw removed, and its chest was cut open.
The 26-year-old defendant testified in the trial that the meadow owner in Wehrheim had assured him before the meadow mowing in spring 2021 that the area had been checked beforehand with a drone. The owner confirmed this in his testimony. However, he also admitted that this was a false statement. He later learned that the drone could not fly over the affected meadow due to technical reasons.
As a condition for the suspension of the proceedings, the defendant must pay 300 Euros to a charitable organization.
Duck reflex helps against animals, not against mowing machines
According to earlier statements from the Bad Nauheim State Hunting Association, reh fawns possess a so-called duck reflex, which protects them from predators and birds of prey. However, this reflex is dangerous for them when they lie on a meadow and the mowing machine approaches. In several weeks of age - usually around the end of June - the duck reflex disappears, and the young deer run away when they sense danger.
People have been trying to save fawns from the mowing process for many decades by checking the meadows beforehand. However, this method is not foolproof, as fawns that hide in the grass are often overlooked. Since these young animals are odorless, the use of dogs was also unsuccessful.
An animal should not be killed "without a reasonable cause," as stated in the Animal Welfare Law. Since around the turn of the millennium, farmers in Germany have been sentenced to fines or even probation by courts for killing young deer during meadow mowing.
- The suspension of the criminal proceedings against the defendant in Wehrheim is being overseen by the Local Court in Hesse.
- The violation of the Animal Welfare Law regarding a kitten's death occurred in the Hochtaunus district, adjacent to Bad Homburg.
- The defendant is required to make a monetary contribution to a charity as part of the conditions set for the halt in criminal proceedings.
- Agricultural processes in the Hochtaunus district, such as meadow mowing, can pose risks to young animals like fawns.
- The agricultural business in question is located in the nearby town of Wehrheim and employs individuals responsible for mowing the meadows in the spring.
- The Animal Welfare Law in Hesse prohibits the killing of animals without a justifiable cause, which could potentially lead to legal consequences for farmers.
- The criminal proceedings against the defendant were temporarily discontinued due to insufficient evidence of his intentional involvement in the kitten's death during the meadow mowing in spring 2021.
