“speciesist justice exclaimed some activists, leaving the room, when the decision of the Le Mans court was announced. The nine anti-species activists of the group “Animal1st”, whose trial was held in January, were sentenced, this Thursday, with penalties ranging from two months to ten months in prison, suspended for acts of intrusions and damage to farms in Sarthe, Eure and Mayenne.
The group’s spokesperson, Vincent Aubry, was sentenced to general interest work of 140 hours. Some activists also receive fines, ranging from 250 to 2000 euros, some suspended.
The “participation in a criminal association” retained for four activists
The participation in a criminal association was retained for four of these militants, the four people involved in the theft of seven lambs, on the night of April 2 to 3, 2021, in Sylvains-les-Moulins, in Eure. A shameful and political decision according to them.
“Obviously, in relation to the facts with which we are charged, any sanction, in any case, was purely outrageousexplains Vincent Aubry, the spokesperson for the activists. But there, it is all the more the case since what we feared the most happened. That is to say that the association of criminals was retained for four activists for facts of theft between quotation marks, therefore of saving these lambs. It is extremely serious in terms of jurisprudence, in particular compared to the doors that it opens for the next animalist trials. Activists have announced that they do not rule out appeal this decision.
A sentence far from sufficient for some breeders
A pain far from enough for some breeders who are victims of these activists. “Indeed, they were convicted of criminal associationexplains Etienne Fourmont, Sarthois breeder who was visited by these activists. But now we have to see if it will prevent them from doing it again. Knowing them (…) if it is only a reprieve, tomorrow they will start again.” He is now waiting for November, the court of Le Mans will indeed have to judge the amounts of compensation that the activists will have to pay to the breeders.