The legal investigation into the Allgäu animal welfare scandal is still not complete even after five years. Two trials are still planned in the complex at the regional court in Memmingen. One of these two trials is due to start on November 6, said a spokesperson for the court.
The proceedings are directed against three farmers, a father and his two sons. They are said to be responsible for 32 sick cattle not being treated by veterinarians. The men are accused of numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
The farm of the three defendants is located in Bad Grönenbach in Unterallgäu, where the animal welfare scandal began exactly five years ago. At the time, an animal welfare organization published a video that was supposed to show animal cruelty on a large farm. The “Soko Tierschutz” association made the case public on July 9, 2019. As a result, the authorities investigated those responsible for several farms and three major criminal proceedings were initiated. The police set up a special commission with almost 30 officers to investigate the allegations.
In the trial planned for November, the three farmers are accused of letting their cows suffer in order to save money on veterinary care. According to investigators, more than half of the animals had to be slaughtered or euthanized, and some sick cattle had already died.
The trial had already begun once and had to be suspended a year ago due to scheduling issues. At the time, the accused father had denied the accusations. He had stated that veterinarians had been in the stables regularly. “I think we do a lot for our animals,” said the senior boss in court. A total of 20 days of hearings are planned for the new trial until the end of February 2025.
There is no date yet for another trial
In addition, another trial against four defendants is pending, for which no date has yet been set. The defendants are two farmers and two employees. The case concerns 58 sick animals that are said to have not received appropriate medical treatment.
This trial was also supposed to take place in autumn 2023. At that time, the court separated the proceedings against four defendants due to motions for disqualification. Initially, only two employees of the company, both of whom had admitted the allegations, were sentenced to fines. These penalties are now final.
The verdict in the first major trial of the animal welfare scandal has also become final after the Federal Court of Justice rejected the appeal of the two defendants, a father and his son. In November 2022, the Memmingen Regional Court sentenced the then 25-year-old son to two years and ten months in prison, while the 68-year-old father received a two-year suspended sentence. According to the verdict, they had tortured their animals by tolerating prolonged pain in the cattle.