Public prosecutor demands 18 months for Thurgau canton veterinarian
Published: Thursday, Jan 25th 2024, 17:00
Back to Live Feed
On the second day of the trial in the Hefenhofen animal welfare case, the public prosecutor and the plaintiffs made their pleas at the Frauenfeld District Court. A conditional prison sentence of 18 months is demanded for the accused former head of the veterinary office. The horse breeder involved wants an expert opinion on the damage he has suffered.
In addition to the conditional prison sentence, the Thurgau public prosecutor's office pleaded for a conditional fine of 180 daily rates of CHF 190 each and a fine of CHF 6,800.
The former cantonal veterinarian should be found guilty of multiple counts of abuse of office, favoritism by omission, cruelty to animals by omission, damage to creditors and fraudulent mismanagement.
The former head of the Thurgau Veterinary Office, together with three former employees, must answer for negligence in connection with the Hefenhofen animal welfare case. In 2017, images of emaciated and dead horses shocked the public. The authorities later cleared the farm and auctioned off 93 horses.
"Nothing done again and again"
The public prosecutor accused the accused of having known about various abuses on the farm for years. During inspections, it was repeatedly found that the recalcitrant horse breeder was not complying with a ban on keeping livestock that was already legally binding at the time.
Several times, emaciated animals, missing water, rotten bread and dirty stables were found. "Despite this knowledge, nothing was done", said the public prosecutor. However, the cantonal veterinarian would have been obliged to take measures and should at least have reported violations.
He justified his behavior with problems with a foreclosure and the aggressiveness of the horse breeder. He had also not complied with reports from animal rights activists.
Dilemma on different levels
However, the prosecutor also mentioned that the department in charge of the veterinary office had not given a clear direction in this case. "Dilemmas at different levels mitigate culpability."
The charges also include inconsistencies in the sale of confiscated horses. The public prosecutor's office did not consider the accusation that the horses had been sold far too cheaply to be a criminal offense. There was no profit maximization requirement.
However, three animals were allegedly given away illegally and one pony was sold to someone for significantly less than its value, even though there was a much better offer to buy it. A secondary complaint came from a private individual who was in possession of three of the animals confiscated at the farm, which she ultimately lost without receiving anything in return.
Plaintiff speaks of "unlawful eviction"
The horse dealer's lawyer criticized the prosecution's indictment as inadequate. The proceedings against his client for cruelty to animals resulted in an acquittal in the first instance due to "evidence" that could not be used. "The alleged animal suffering and the alleged abuses did not exist," said the legal representative.
Instead, the plaintiff's lawyer argued that the court eviction had been carried out illegally. "There was no legal basis." His client had suffered great financial damage, also due to the excessively low prices that had been achieved at the auction of the horses.
The lawyer submitted an application for an expert opinion to determine the actual value of the confiscated animals. "It's about the amount of the offense," he explained. According to the indictment, the horse breeder from Hefenhofen is demanding compensation of 2.6 million francs.
The trial will continue on February 20 with the pleadings of the legal representatives of the former cantonal veterinarian and the other defendants.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic