Furuviksparken committed several violations of the law when they shot the chimpanzees that escaped at the end of last year. This is the opinion of Annika Norée, docent in criminal law, who examined the case and who participates in the TV4 documentary Chimps in Furuvik, which is available on TV4 Play. – Both the hunting of, the shooting of and the failure to provide adequate care to injured animals, she says. On July 1 last year, a new law on serious animal cruelty came into force, and it is, among other things, against the law that Furuvikparken broke, says Annika Norée, docent in criminal law: – What has happened in Furuviksparken is as close as you can get to the crime description for this new crime. Subjecting animals to undue suffering. Four chimpanzees were shot dead, one was injured and three had to wait in a freezing cold monkey house with dead pack members among them – and this has caused the animals both physical and psychological suffering, according to Norée. In addition, the park did not have a dispensation to shoot the animals dead. – You must not kill chimpanzees with hunting weapons, they must be killed with anesthetic by a veterinarian, says Annika Norée. Shot with a shotgun Selma the chimpanzee was shot with a shotgun and two months later was found to have lead shot in his body and to be blind in one eye. Who it was that participated in the hunt for the chimpanzees and fired shots, the park does not want to go into. But according to Annika Noree, the shooters may also be personally held accountable. Something even the CEO is aware of. – The shooter always has a responsibility to get a well-placed shot and that you can do it. I don’t have a hunting degree or know how the different weapons work, or when to use which weapon, says Furuvikparken CEO Sandra Wilke. Wants to see trial The park’s CEO does not want to comment on whether a crime may have been committed, citing that a police investigation is ongoing. – We have assisted them in every way we can, so that they get all the information and can make a fair assessment, says Wilke. – It would be good to have an indicative decision and have the question of the new crime of aggravated animal cruelty tried, so I hope that the prosecutor goes ahead and has this tried in a court, says Norée. See Annika Norée’s comment in the clip above. Watch the documentary The Chimpanzees at Furuvik on TV4 Play
t4-general
The expert: Several violations of the law when the park shot the chimpanzees to death
