The story of the lamb seized from the churchyard in Keratsini has made the rounds on the Internet. However, this was not the first time an animal had been sacrificed in a church, nor was it the first time the police had intervened in such an incident.

The incident was reported Stamatina Stamatakou, journalist and animal rights activistwho was informed that on Sunday morning a lamb was delivered to the Church of St. George in Keratsini as part of a food which a certain family has been engaged in for the last 30 years. She reported the matter to the Department of Animal Welfare, who she said responded quickly, resulting in the animal being seized and moved to a safe location, namely the Athens Happy Home.

According to Ms. Stamataku, “the animal was found abused, bonfires were lit next to it, tied around the neck,” so the police intervened.

Stronger legal framework

“According to article 24 of the new Law 4830/21kill and torture the animal now criminal offense, therefore, our services were immediately mobilized,” he says in a conversation with “K”, Head of Animal Welfare, Police Officer B’, Theodoros Kambouris. Mr. Cambouris adds that, accordingly, in accordance with Article 33, the police have proceeded with the temporary removal of the animal, which can only be done in exceptional cases.

In response to the question about the human right to slaughter a productive animal, the police officer explained: “Product animals such as lamb are allowed to be slaughtered and eaten, but this must be done under certain conditions determined by the relevant legislation. , not in a barbaric way, without anesthetizing the animal, making it suffer. The law applied to this part. An animal can only be slaughtered under certain conditions and under anesthesia.”

Since torturing an animal is considered a criminal offence, the public prosecutor is informed and an automatic procedure. As Mr. Cambouris emphasizes, the new law comes into force from September 2021 and applies to all animals, whether they are productive or not. Specifically, it states that mistreatment, mistreatment, and mistreatment of any kind of animal is prohibited.

Four incidents in a week and a half

According to the policeman, yesterday’s incident was not the only one. On the contrary, three more occurred from Maundy Thursday to the Sunday of Thomas. In particular, his office received a complaint about a similar incident on Thursday again in the Piraeus region, on Friday with four lambs that were to be slaughtered in Ano Liosia, and on Sunday evening something similar happened in Agios Anargyros.

Ms. Stamataku was present at the Maundy Thursday incident, who told K that she saw a family across the street from her house carrying a lamb in very poor condition, dirty, bony, with wire around its legs and neck, to be slaughtered. . “We got him out, Lazarus. In this particular case, the person who brought the animal was also detained, and they even scolded us for taking the animal,” he describes.

Her first contact with such an incident, which also involved the first productive animal she rescued, was about a year ago in Eleusis, where a small sheep was brought to be slaughtered with a cleaver in the churchyard. However, fortunately, the priest prevented the massacre. “I got him and he is still alive. This is Frixos.

“It is interesting how it is possible in the 21st century, in a European country, to have such customs and go to church to donate live animals,” she emphasizes.

Double the number of complaints

As the activist notes, the positive thing is that people are now talking, complaining, and the Greek police are doing their job and becoming more active.

Theodoros Cambouris, head of the Animal Welfare Department, confirms that since the new law was passed and with the introduction of a five-digit number to which citizens can report animal cruelty, the number of complaints has doubled compared to previous years. In fact, he explained that 95% of the complaints concerned passive violence, i.e. neglect of an animal, keeping it without food and water, etc. However, cases of active violence are on the rise and become more widely known due to the shocking violence that they accompany. .