The Thionville prosecutor's office requested up to nine months in prison on Thursday June 9 against three men accused of having detained and then abandoned two lion cubs, AFP learned from the lawyer for an association for the defense of animals, part civil at trial.
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The prosecution requested 10 months in prison including six suspended sentences for one of the defendants, 15 months including six suspended sentences for another and nine months firm for the third.
He also asked for fines of 3,000 euros each, said Me Patrice Grillon, who represents the Stéphane Lamart association.
The three men were tried for possession and transport of non-domestic species without authorization, and abandonment of animals.
They face up to three years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros.
“Sooner or later, it pays off”
The prosecution also requested that the three defendants have a permanent ban on keeping an animal and exercising an activity related to animals.
Requisitions welcomed by Me Grillon, who wishes to see the defendants sentenced "
so that people no longer want to start this type of traffic again
" and "
that they understand that when we ignore the law which protects animals, sooner or later , it pays
”.
In December 2019, the three men had abandoned the two felines, aged about four months and named Simba and Nala, in front of an animal park in Bouches-du-Rhône, in transport cages for cats.
The lion cubs were then collected by the association Tonga land of welcome, specialized in the care of wild animals, said the association Stéphane Lamart in a press release.
The three men were in contact with the rapper Lacrim, owner of the lion cubs but who wanted to "
get rid
of them ", explained Me Grillon.
The rapper, who is not implicated in the case, had therefore entrusted them to the defendants, “
for them to sell them
”, each lion cub being able to resell illegally “
a few thousand euros
”.
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The gendarmes of Metz, who were investigating the case, then posed as potential buyers: the transaction having failed, the three men had made the decision to abandon the felines, explained Me Grillon.
The three defendants told the bar that they wanted to "
do a favor
" to this rapper, but for Me Grillon, "
all that is not very convincing
".
Judgment was reserved for July 7.
