In order to transport sick and immobilized cattle quickly, employees at a slaughterhouse tie the animals to a rope and drag them across the floor. The men are said to have abused the cattle "with electric shocks, kicks and pitchfork stabs". Now they have to go to court.
In the trial against three former employees of a now-closed slaughterhouse in Bad Iburg, the lawyers admitted violations of the Animal Welfare Act before the district court. The accused, aged 46, 35 and 33, are also accused of violating hygiene regulations.
In August and September 2018, they are said to have pulled sick and immobilized cattle from the cattle transporters with chains and cable winches, among other things, causing the animals pain and considerable suffering. "The winch ran all day, the animals with the broken legs were dragged out by force and electrocuted, kicked and stabbed with pitchforks. I could not imagine the level of terror even after 20 years as an animal welfare investigator," said an activist of the Association SoKo Tierschutz the NDR. In addition, two defendants are said to have slaughtered dead animals in some cases and used them as food, the prosecutor said in his indictment.
Among the accused was the former manager of the slaughterhouse. The accusation that they had already slaughtered dead animals was rejected by the two accused. The slaughterhouse only wanted to gain the skin of the animals; the carcasses were taken to the animal carcass disposal facility as prescribed.
The trial of three other defendants was severed at the beginning of the session. They too were employees of the slaughterhouse. The criminal proceedings were triggered by secret video recordings by animal rights activists of the delivery area of the slaughterhouse.
During the trial, animal rights activists demonstrate in front of the courthouse and demand heavy punishment for the accused. Their posters show men dragging cattle with their hooves tied together down a flight of stairs.
