Two people investigated for mistreatment of a bull in Gàtova
The festival director ordered a local hunter neighbor the unauthorized use of weapons and he shot the animal
ValenciaThe Civil Guard is investigating two people for animal mistreatment and administrative prevarication following the escape of seven head of cattle during a festival in the Valencian town of Gàtova.
The events were triggered on July 18th due to the celebration of street bullfrunning authorized in the municipality. During the event, the containment system in the delimited enclosure failed, causing seven head of cattle (six cows and one bull) belonging to a fighting bull ranch to escape into the public street.
Given the risk situation generated for public safety, the Civil Guard immediately deployed a large air and ground coordinated location and control device in which patrols from the Citizen Security of the region, components of SEPRONA, and the Air Unit of Valencia participated.
Omission of the rule
During the search operation, the Civil Guard agents located and formally informed the local authority, in his capacity as festival director, of his legal responsibilities, urging the issuance of public risk alerts and notification to emergency services.
Likewise, the Acting Force expressly warned him that the use of firearms for this type of contingency is absolutely exceptional, imperatively requiring express governmental authorizations and strict compliance with safety measures.
Despite the legal warnings issued by SEPRONA specialists and the commanders of the operation, during the early morning of July 19th, the festival director omitted the legally regulated channels and gave a direct verbal instruction to a local resident, a hunting enthusiast, to neutralize the bull using a firearm.
Without legal competence
Around 04:00 AM, during nighttime hours and at a short distance from a inhabited area of a development adjacent to the urban center, the alleged perpetrator opened fire on the animal using a hunting rifle.
After receiving a first impact, the head of cattle moved several meters until it remained static, at which point a second shot was fired, causing its instant death. The investigations carried out determined that the order was issued lacking the required legal competence and without the mandatory coverage or authorization from governmental authorities.
The SEPRONA Research Team of the Valencia Civil Guard Command assumed the instruction of the proceedings and conducted an exhaustive eye inspection at the scene.
Against the Penal Code
As a result of police actions, the formalization of the search without detention of two men has been carried out: the director of the festival, as the presumed author of a crime of Administrative Prevarication (article 404 of the Penal Code), for issuing an arbitrary verbal order in an administrative matter by irregularly authorizing the use of firearms to private individuals, and the local resident, as the material author of a crime of Animal Cruelty (article 340 bis of the Penal Code), for intentionally and unauthorizedly killing a vertebrate animal outside of legal assumptions and regulated activity.