More than 200 cattle die in agony: farmer in Bavaria in court - he is considered to be less responsible
Created: 04/12/2022, 07:16
By: Catherine Haase
View of a fattening farm where, according to the public prosecutor, around 170 cattle died.
© Daniel Karmann/dpa/archive image
More than 200 cattle had to die due to neglect by a farmer near Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
The 44-year-old is now in court.
Ansbach
- Because he let around 170 cattle starve to death, a farmer from Middle Franconia has to answer in court on Wednesday, April 13th.
The 44-year-old was charged with animal cruelty and killing animals.
The verdict before the district court in Ansbach could be made on the same day.
The dead animals on the farm near Rothenburg ob der Tauber had already been discovered by the police in May 2021.
Officials followed an anonymous tip.
According to the indictment, the animals should not have been supplied with sufficient water and food for months.
The farmer also did not call a veterinarian for help.
Ansbach: 170 cattle died - 50 more must die - farmer in court
In the end, around 170 dead cattle were discovered lying around in the barn.
About 50 other animals were in such a bad condition that they later had to be killed to put them out of their misery.
According to an expert report, the farmer was suffering from psychological problems at the time of the incident and was less responsible.
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Farmer neglects all his cattle - he is considered less responsible
Reports of neglected cows, pigs or other farm animals repeatedly attract nationwide attention.
A video showing a farmer abusing a cow recently caused a stir in the Ebersberg district.
Most recently, the Allgäu animal welfare scandal caused horror with pictures of overcrowded stables, emaciated cows and animals lying in the faeces.
Such cases often reveal not only animal, but also human suffering.
"It is always a human collapse that leads to a collapse of the business," says Edgar Schallenberger, the representative for animal welfare in agriculture in Schleswig-Holstein.
Trial of dead cattle in Ansbach: stroke of fate as a trigger?
In most cases, the trigger is a stroke of fate, says animal welfare expert Irene Pfeiffer from the Bavarian Farmers' Association.
A downward spiral is set in motion, which turns slowly at first and then faster and faster.
The trial of the starved cattle before the district court in Ansbach was originally scheduled for mid-March.
But because the judge was ill, it was postponed by about a month.
According to the court spokesman, three police officers who were involved in the investigation will testify on Wednesday.
In addition, an expert from the veterinary office and the psychiatric expert are invited.
kah
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