sheep were transported in car trunks before the holiday
The alarmed sheep were tied forelegs, transported on wheels, and then loaded into a truck of cars to be secretly slaughtered on Eid al-Kabir.* : this is the non-stop ballet witnessed by L214 investigators in the sheepfold of the Flanders Artois Sheep Society (SOFA) in Deûlémont. Dozens of sheep were sold illegally and handed over to individuals.
The union, facing the shortcomings of the State services, which did not do anything despite the warning given by L214, filed a complaint with SOCAR regarding the crime of ill treatment and participation in the illegal slaughter of animals. Public prosecutor of the Dunkirk trial.
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For the holiday, farms are allowed to sell sheep to individuals, but under no circumstances are they allowed to take them home: legally, customers can reserve a sheep, which must be tagged (in the buyer’s name), transported and then slaughtered. slaughter place approved on the day of the holiday; customers then come to pick up the sheep carcass.
Indeed, it is illegal to hand over live animals to individuals before Eid., to prevent animals from being inappropriately transported, surreptitiously slaughtered, and laboriously and painfully killed with inappropriate equipment (such as kitchen knives) or without firmly immobilizing sheep. As every year, a decree was published on June 14, 2022: it states that from July 4 to 14, 2022, the transportation of sheep and goats by individuals is prohibited.
The Northern Prefecture reminds that ” applying for slaughter outside the slaughterhouse is illegal and a A crime punishable by up to 6 months in prison and a fine of €15,000. In addition, it poses health risks to consumers because the meat and offal consumed will not come from animal carcasses that have been certified as fit for consumption by DDPP veterinary services. In addition, it presents animal health and environmental risks. »
By supplying sheep to individuals, SOFA is complicit in the crime of clandestine slaughter.
Despite warnings from L214 to Northern Veterinary Services, no action has been taken to put an end to these patent breaches of the regulations.and L214 did not respond to his report.
By releasing these images, L214 wants to make public unacceptable practices that have been condemned by animal welfare associations for years. Although associations have been able to ban ritual slaughter outside of approved slaughterhouses, it is clear that the authorities continue to fail to strictly fulfill their duty of control.
However, it is easy for veterinary services to identify violations and their perpetrators, as SOFA is required to report all sheep movements to the Ovinfos national database.
L214 requires an investigation to determine the number of sheep sold and illegally transported by SOFA. A day before the holiday, more than thirty loads were filmed (the footage was handed over to the courts).
* The images were taken on Friday, July 8, on the eve of Eid al-Adha.
The killing of hundreds of thousands of sheep every year during the festival inevitably leads to suffering, which is exacerbated by the mass violation of regulations and the slaughter of animals without prior stunning.
For Muslims, sheep sacrifice can be replaced by charity. Soheib Bencheikh, the former Grand Mufti of Marseille, believes that bloodshed is not an absolute requirement. Taking into account that Eid al-Kabir sacrifice is neither a pillar of Islam nor a religious obligation that can be compared to prayer, Soheib Bencheikh thinks that it is possible to replace the sacrifice of sheep. a donation made in a country whose inhabitants do not need enough food » that’s why more in keeping with the spirit of sharing involved in this experience “.
