A “disgustingly” light sentence handed down to one of two men charged over a horrendous animal abuse case has left animal activists and individuals involved in the investigation fuming.
Earlier this week, Carmel Pace was handed a one-year prison term, which was suspended for two years, after he admitted to various animal cruelty charges. The case against the son is still ongoing.
The case goes back to December 2017, when the pair were evicted from government land they had been squatting on. When officials made entry into the Bezbizija farm the men were occupying, they found well over 100 animals that were being kept in conditions described as “horrendous.”
In all, officials removed 16 horses, 20 dogs, a number of cats as well as 60 chickens, 23 turkeys and 18 rabbits from the site. Most of the animals were extremely malnourished and were kept in inadequate and filthy conditions.
“The situation at the farm was disgusting. The animals were uncared for, in pain and hungry,” a source familiar with the court case told The Malta Independent on Sunday.
It had also turned out that two of the dogs found at the site had been stolen from their owners two and three years prior. The owners were identified thanks to the dogs’ microchips and were eventually reunited with their pets.
All animals were moved to alternate accommodation, with the rest of the dogs and cats going to foster families and the horses taken in by the Police cavalry section.
The son had resisted the police during the eviction operation, injuring four officers in the process.
Carmel Pace and his son, who is not named in the court judgment, were charged with keeping unregistered animals in inadequate conditions, as well as with causing the animals pain or suffering. They were also charged with failing to provide the necessary care to the animals under their responsibility.
The son alone was further charged with obstructing justice, assaulting and injuring four police officers and relapsing.
After considering the man’s admission as well as medical reports he had presented to the court, Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech handed down a suspended sentence.
The court said it did not feel that a fine should be meted out but the accused should be given a suspended sentence so as to “have time to reflect on his actions and the consequences that a repeat offence would have.”
It also said that the animals in question should never be left in possession of the accused or at any place belonging to him or any relative of his.
Pace was ordered to pay €2,415 in court fees.
Sources who were part of the investigation and animal rights activists told this newspaper that they were extremely disappointed by the sentence, especially given the gravity of the case and the fact that harsher penalties for animal abuse were recently introduced.
They also pointed out that the court had gone for the minimum sentence.
Recent amendments to the Animal Welfare Act mean that first time offenders are liable to a fine of between €2,000 and €65,000 or to a term of imprisonment of a maximum of 3 years or both.
One source who was privy to the details of the case said the sentence was “extremely light” and did not reflect the gravity of the case and the consequences of cruelty on animals. “This was a case of extreme neglect and mistreatment. There should have been an effective prison term.”
“If we want to promote animal welfare and reduce it, the courts have to mete out deserving punishments that reflect the seriousness of the crime,” the source continued.
When contacted by this newspaper, Noel Montebello, the director of the Animal Welfare Directorate, said he could not comment about the judgment but said he was satisfied that the directorate had won the case in court and that the animals had found loving homes.
Montebello explained that all dogs found at the farm had been immediately taken in by foster families, who can now formally adopt them. The directorate has also approached a number of individuals who are interested in fostering or adopting the rescued horses, he said.
