Animal Welfare Act - Police officers on trial for cruelty to animals in equestrian squadron
Two police officers from the Mannheim riding squad have been charged with suspected animal cruelty. The officers are accused of beating service horses with a riding crop, torturing them with a rattle bag full of tinned food and applying pepper paste to the feeding trough in several cases. According to the public prosecutor's office, they accepted the animals' pain and violated the Animal Welfare Act. As an expert witness is ill with coronavirus, the Mannheim district court postponed the trial on Thursday shortly after it began until the end of February.
Seven witnesses are to be heard. Further possible dates are planned for March. The trial is only taking place because the officers have appealed against penalty orders. The 40 and 55-year-old police officers did not comment at the start of the trial.
The younger officer is accused of attaching a jute sack full of tinned food to Camilo's horse in 2020. According to the public prosecutor, the rattling noise caused the animal to panic and run "out of fear continuously and to the point of exhaustion". At the end of 2021, the police officer allegedly hit a horse with a riding crop so that it stood up on its hind legs and tried to escape from the box - assessed as considerable pain. A violation of the Animal Welfare Act, which can be punished with a prison sentence of up to three years.
The older officer is said to have hit the service horse Corleone with the flat of his hand without cause. In order to prevent misconduct, a pepper-based paste was also applied to a feeding trough - thus significantly impairing the horse's well-being.
According to the police headquarters, the officers are still employed by the equestrian squadron. The whole thing came to light following a complaint. Details remained unclear. There were initially no internal consequences: "Disciplinary proceedings were not initiated for the time being and the matter will be conclusively investigated once the criminal investigation has been concluded."
The number of employees and animals at the equestrian squadron in Mannheim reportedly fluctuates. In general, there is a need for 15 fully qualified police horses, 15 police riders as well as a manager and 6 people to look after the animals.
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- The public prosecutor's office in Baden-Württemberg is actively pursuing cases of criminality related to animal cruelty, such as the ongoing trial in Mannheim.
- The Police in Germany are subject to the Animal Welfare Act, and officers who violate this act, like those in Mannheim, may face prison sentences of up to three years.
- The Mannheim district court is currently handling several processes related to the cruelty to animals in the city's equestrian squadron, postponing hearings when necessary due to issues like illness with Coronavirus.
- The police in Baden-Württemberg employ animals, such as horses, in their equestrian squadrons, and these animals are protected by the Animal Welfare Act, ensuring their well-being and proper treatment.
- The criminal case of animal cruelty involving two police officers from Mannheim's equestrian squadron grew out of a complaint made to the public prosecutor's office, prompting an investigation and eventual charges.
- In light of the severe punishment for violating the Animal Welfare Act in Germany, it is crucial for local courts to adhere to due process and ensure that the rights of both defendants and animals are upheld fairly and justly.
Source: www.stern.de
