The preliminary investigation against the hunter who shot two Shetland ponies has been closed, Jaktjournalen reports.
The prosecutor believes that no crime has been proven in the case.
– I think it’s shameful that it’s being shut down, but unfortunately I’m not surprised. However, I will never accept the prosecutor’s decision, says owner Aileen Köpper to TV4 Nyheterna.
It was in October that a hunter mistook two Shetland ponies in a horse paddock for wild boar – and shot both. Now Jaktjournalen reports that the prosecutor closes the preliminary investigation against the hunter after it was not possible to prove that a crime had been committed.
The 60-year-old man was previously suspected of hunting offences, animal cruelty, damage and causing injury to others due to the shooting.
Both horses had to be euthanized
TV4 Nyheterna met the mother of the family that owned the ponies, Aileen Köpper, in connection with the incident. Then she told about the call from the hunter who had accidentally shot the two horses, Bubbe and Charisma.
– I felt the panic in my body considering the shots we heard before. We ran out into the pasture and there was our little mare that had been shot in the leg, she says.
The mare Charisma had her leg “twisted in all directions” and Aileen asked the hunter to shoot the pony so she wouldn’t suffer. The horse Bubbe was shot in the stomach and he too had to be euthanized on the spot.
– He stood trembling and was close to collapsing. He probably had a lot of internal bleeding, says Aileen Köpper.
“Disgraceful”
The hunter himself called the police, who then drew up a report on hunting offenses and causing danger to others. Prosecutor Richard Wahlqvist now speaks The county newspaper that it is not possible to prove that it was a crime to shoot the horses.
– It is not possible to show that he caused suffering on purpose, he has limited it as best he could. It would be unreasonable to count it as animal cruelty, then every single shooting while hunting would be it, says Richard Wahlqvist to the newspaper.
The prosecutor also believes that the hunter acted remorsefully and made himself right afterwards by calling the police himself. The closure decision can still be appealed, otherwise there will be no penalty for the man. The horses’ owners still want to take it further as a dispute.
– The hunter must receive his punishment and get rid of his weapons license, everything else is just crazy and completely unacceptable, says Aileen Köpper to TV4 Nyheterna, who has also notified the prosecutor.
TV4 Nyheterna is looking for prosecutor Richard Wahlqvist for a comment.