(Adnkronos) – The owner of a German slaughterhouse, accused of 45 counts of animal cruelty, is on trial for alleged mistreatment of sick cows, which he allegedly beat and deprived of food and water. The proceedings, initiated last year for 11 alleged offenses against the German animal welfare law, were suspended after the addition of another 34 charges, as announced by a spokeswoman for the Lünen court.
The investigations were launched in 2021 thanks to video footage made by the animal rights organization Soko Tierschutz. The activists had denounced systematic abuse within the facility, leading local authorities to close the livestock collection station. Two slaughterhouse employees, sentenced last year to probation for various offenses against the animal welfare law, have been called to testify at the trial.
