Unusual case in Meilen ZH Zurich man frees injured fox - and has to stand trial for animal cruelty
A man from Zurich went on trial for helping an injured fox. According to the indictment, he should have informed the police or hunting warden after the rescue. However, the judge did not see any punishable offense.
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- A 53-year-old man from Zurich had to stand trial after rescuing an injured young fox from a willow net.
- The public prosecutor accused him of not informing the authorities after the rescue, even though the fox was seriously injured.
- The Meilen district court acquitted the man, partly because crucial statements could not be used.
A 53-year-old businessman had to answer to the Meilen district court on charges of negligent cruelty to animals. The reason did not initially suggest a criminal offense: The man from the canton of Zurich had freed an injured young fox from a pasture net just over a year ago, as reported by the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper.
A few days later, a dead fox was discovered not far from the meadow - presumably the same animal, according to the public prosecutor's office.
One after the other: The fox had become entangled in a flexible willow net and suffered deep cuts to its front paw and hind leg during attempts to free itself. After a woman discovered the animal, she informed her brother, who lives nearby. He cut open the net with a knife and secateurs and freed the limping fox.
Fine demanded
According to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, the public prosecutor later accused the man of recognizing the serious injuries and immediately informing the police or game warden. In this way, the animal could have received medical treatment or been relieved of its pain. The prosecution therefore demanded a conditional fine of ten daily rates of 120 francs and a fine of 300 francs.
According to the newspaper, the farmer, who had not set up the pasture net correctly, had already been convicted of negligent cruelty to animals in separate proceedings. In court, the farmer expressed his outrage at having been charged himself. He had only helped and had already rescued animals from unfortunate situations on several occasions.
Court follows defense
The defendant's lawyer pleaded for acquittal in court. He argued that his client's statements to the police should not be used, as he had only been questioned at the time as a person providing information and had not been informed of his rights as a defendant. Furthermore, it was not proven that the fox that was later found dead was actually the animal that was stuck in the net.
The court ultimately acquitted the man. The judge declared that the statements made to the police could not be used: "There is therefore no longer any evidence," she was quoted as saying by the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. She also made it clear: "The fox was not put in this predicament by you."
The man could not be prosecuted for not informing the game warden after the rescue. The verdict is not yet final.
