A “central actor” in a criminal network in Stockholm county is charged with gross animal cruelty. The man halal slaughtered a sheep – without having first given anesthesia and with a “knife unsuitable for the purpose”, which exposed the animal to “severe suffering”.
The man is also charged with aggravated weapons offense as he possessed a gun without a permit.
It was on an allotment on a December night last year that what the police point out as a “central actor” in the Märsta network slaughtered the sheep. In questioning, he says that the animal was not euthanized at the slaughterhouse “as they do not slaughter according to halal”.
Instead, the man took care of the slaughter himself. But first he poses with the animal while holding axes and knives. The film from the slaughter, which became a lengthy process as the knife was dull, is used as evidence in the Attunda district court. The man is also charged with a serious weapons offense since, according to the indictment, he possessed a gun without a permit.
Image from the police preliminary investigation.
Image from the police preliminary investigation.
“Physical and mental suffering”
Despite the extensive evidence in the form of pictures and videos, the man denies any crime. In questioning, he says that he is “careful about slaughtering the animal so that it suffers as little as possible” and that “you give the animal food and water and then wash it off” before it is turned towards Mecca.
Veterinarians at the National Center for Animal Welfare at the Swedish University of Agriculture have been used as experts in the investigation against the man. They have seen films and pictures from the slaughter and write the following:
“The handling has been rough, the animal has not been stunned and the equipment (knife) used has not been suitable for the purpose. During the entire process, the animal has been completely unsedated and has consequently been exposed to severe stress and severe physical and psychological suffering”.
“The sheep is pushed down hard to the ground”
In the 13-second clip from the slaughter, it appears that the knife used is too dull for the purpose and that “the sheep in question first tries to stand up and then sputters vigorously, both at the first attempt to cut and at the second”.
Furthermore, the veterinarian describes the slaughter as follows:
“The sheep is pressed hard down to the ground with the help of two hands and one knee, so that it lies on its side. The sheep appears to have a black garbage bag tied around its neck (not over its head). At the same time, another person is seen holding the animal’s mouth and nose and possibly also up to the eyes, while the person in question cuts with a knife against the ventral (normally downwards/lower) part of the sheep’s neck.
On Tuesday, the trial began against the man who is accused of aggravated animal cruelty. He is also indicted on suspicion of serious weapons offences, as he possessed a gun without a permit.