In the period 2015 to 2021, Nettverk for dyr fridom illegally entered 67 pig barns. A large number of videos and pictures were sent to the media and the police as evidence for alleged gross violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The pig industry’s broken promises were among the cases that were published. But now it turns out that the police have dismissed 56 of the 67 reported cases. This is shown by a survey carried out by news. The investigation has been carried out in seven different police districts, from Agder in the south to Trøndelag in the north. – Photo evidence is often not enough – In general, I would say that photos and videos are not necessarily enough to meet the strict evidence requirements we have in criminal cases, says police attorney and expert responsible for animal welfare crime in Økokrim, Tone Strømsnes Olsen. She admits that many of the photos show damage to animals and conditions that are not good, but: – The photo is only one piece of evidence in the assessment of whether someone should be punished. The evidence must also be assessed critically against other evidence that is produced, she says. One hind foot of this pig is severely swollen due to arthritis. Photo: Tor Grobstok / Network for Animal Freedom 35 cases have been dismissed because the prosecution does not find the evidence good enough. 22 of them were put away because the cases were out of date. The penalty for breaches of the Animal Welfare Act is usually one year, and the limitation period two years. For the most serious offences, the penalty is three years, and the limitation period is five years. – Many of the cases were already outdated when they were reported to the police, says Strømsnes Olsen. – Often, a photo or video is not good enough evidence to get someone convicted in a criminal case, says police attorney and expert responsible for animal welfare crime in Økokrim, Tone Strømsnes Olsen. Photo: Caroline Bergli Tolfsen / news Only one legally binding decision So far there is only one legally binding decision in the case. In that case, a pig farmer from Inlandet accepted a fine of NOK 12,000 for breaching the Animal Welfare Act. A pig farmer from Sogn og Fjordane has been sentenced to 60 days in prison on terms for breaking the same law. But the case can be appealed and the judgment is therefore not legally binding. Nine cases are still under investigation. The farmer from Sogn og Fjordane who owns this pig with an active tail wound has been sentenced to conditional imprisonment for 60 days. But the judgment can be appealed and is therefore not legally binding. Photo: Tor Grobstok / Nettverk for dyrs fridom Chairman of the business and interest organization Norsvin, Per Inge Egeland, is relieved that so many of the reported cases have been dismissed. – Both this and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s inspection campaign show that there are very few serious deviations in Norwegian pig production. We are happy about that, he says. Engeland believes that many of the images from the Network for Animal Freedom seem contrived, and that they do not always show how the animals are doing. – Bingen has two sides. The clean and the dirty side. If you take a picture from the dirty side, it will look bad no matter how healthy the animal is, says Engeland. At the same time, he adds that those who disfigure animals deserve punishment. – It is just as painful for us to see animals laughing as it is for everyone else, he says. Leader of Norway’s Farmers Association, Bjørn Gimming, says the animal rights activists had a clear agenda when they entered the barn, and that their evidence does not measure up. – This is clear when so many cases are dismissed by the police, he says. Pig farmer and chairman of Norsvin, Per Inge Egeland, is relieved that most of the reported cases against Norwegian pig farmers have been dropped. Desperate animal conservationists – We are extremely disappointed with the police, says Tor Grobstok, who is spokesperson for the Animal Freedom Network. He believes that farm animals should have the same legal protection as family animals, but that these cases illustrate that this is not the case in practice. – No one would have accepted that dogs and cats waded around in their own faeces with eaten body parts, but one does with pigs, he says. – Network for animal freedom went public in the media and said that they had revealed extensive and serious breaches of the Animal Welfare Act. Did they take it too hard? – No, the conditions we exposed in the pig industry were hair-raising and far beyond what we as a society can accept, he says. Grobstok says that the outcome in these cases has only made him even more motivated to fight on. – We will continue the fight. No amount of threats or anything else can stop us in our work for the voiceless animals, he says.
ttn-69
The police have dropped 56 out of 67 cases after the pig revelations – news Vestland
