Tiermisshandlungen wegen “baulicher Mängel” in Schlachtbetrieben – eine strafrechtliche Betrachtung

Abstract

ZusammenfassungIn den letzten Jahren häufen sich Aufdeckungen von schweren Tiermisshandlungen durch Schlachthofmitarbeiter. Grund für diese Taten sind nicht zwingend sadistische Motive, sondern regelmäßig “bauliche Mängel” – ein aktuelles und weit verbreitetes Problem in deutschen Schlachtbetrieben. Dieser Zusammenhang wird jedoch in der Öffentlichkeit selten erwähnt. Der Beitrag zeigt auf, wie bauliche Mängel in Schlachtbetrieben zu Tiermisshandlungen durch Mitarbeiter führen und welche strafrechtlichen Folgen hieraus für die handelnden Mitarbeiter, den Tierschutzbeauftragten und den Betreiber des Schlachthofs abzuleiten sind.

Animal welfare at German abattoirs: insights into the occurrence of violations against laws and regulations from official veterinarians and judicial decisions

“…The findings of Reymann’s study align with the outcomes of the present study, as both studies reveal that all aspects related to animal handling and care can be improved. Instances of animal welfare violations often stem from a variety of factors, including negligence of abattoir employees or operators, or specific challenges such as structural deficiencies, as reported in the works of Fötschl ( 35 ), Scheibl ( 36 , 37 ), and Hahn and Kari ( 20 ). Furthermore, these transgressions can be linked to additional factors, such as time constraints, high slaughter rates, inadequate infrastructure, or economic interests ( 39 ).…”

“…Nevertheless, some facilities continued to fall short during these audit assessments. In recent years, there has been a growing surge in media coverage highlighting deficiencies in the handling and slaughter of animals at abattoirs in Germany ( 20 ). Examples of violations in Germany caught on camera by animal welfare NGOs include the following: abattoir employees beating and kicking animals (especially targeting sensitive body parts) ( 21 ); the illicit use of prohibited tools to drive animals (e.g., electric prods) ( 22 ); forcefully dragging downer cattle into the abattoir instead of providing emergency slaughter as delineated in Section 8 of the German Ordinance on the Protection of Animals in Connection with Slaughter or Killing ( 23 ); and slaughtering animals despite one or more signs of consciousness after ineffective stunning ( 24 ).…”

Measures and Penalties for Animal Welfare Violations at German Abattoirs: A Compilation of Current Recommendations and Practices

“…The most relevant and common cases were included. Deficits like construction defects (which often cause animal welfare violations according to Hahn and Kari [ 8 ]) were not addressed, seeing as these issues are very individual and hard to assess without very specific details. Causes of animal welfare violations are very individual and vary among abattoirs, which means that the measures and penalties must also be individual.…”

“…Animal welfare violations present an important ethical issue, seeing as they inflict avoidable pain, distress, and suffering upon slaughter animals [ 4 ]. Furthermore, poor animal welfare during preslaughter and slaughter impacts meat quality negatively [ 5 , 6 , 7 ], causes economic losses [ 4 ], and conflicts with consumer demand for high standards of animal welfare [ 8 ]. Violations of animal welfare standards during slaughter are a pervasive global issue, exhibiting varying degrees of occurrence [ 9 , 10 ].…”

“…Contrary to other countries (e.g., Canada [ 27 ]), there are no accessible guidelines for the distinction for mild and serious violations at the slaughterhouse. Hahn and Kari described the following violation to be “severe”: An employee deliberately bends the tail of a cow and subjected it electric shocks using an unauthorized electric stunning device [ 8 ]. The status quo regarding law enforcement in German abattoirs (e.g., sanctions or recommendations for measures and penalties) has not yet been formally investigated.…”