This is the opinion of Franck Rastoul, Attorney General of Toulouse. He was the guest of France Bleu Occitanie after the creation of a special judicial center dedicated to animal abuse in Toulouse.
A special judicial center dedicated to animal abuse has been created in Toulouse by the Court of Appeal. A pole led by the Attorney General Franck Rastoul. He explained the reasons for its creation to France Bleu Occitanie.
Is this type of center a first in France?
I don’t know if this is a first, but it is a desire of the Toulouse public prosecutor’s office to acquire human resources and to develop our practices to best respond to this phenomenon. This summer was particularly marked by cases which, legitimately, moved people but which are only the tree that hides the forest. Our society rightly demands today, for acts of animal abuse, a more effective response, particularly at the judicial level.
Is there an upsurge in acts of abuse in the six departments covered by the Court of Appeal?
The phenomenon of abuse is diffuse. There is what is called a ‘dark figure’: to know it better is to follow it better and detect it better. This unit will also rely on statistical monitoring to be able to monitor the number of facts recorded, but above all the number of facts processed with faster and more effective judicial responses, based on three pillars which seem to me to be fundamental: the seizure of animals when the facts justify it by their seriousness, their confiscation, but also the prohibition pronounced against the owner to keep an animal.
Was, until now, the one who beat his dog, was not judged? Was there a form of impunity?
Until now, I think we could move towards amicable, administrative solutions. I hope that we now have, in a systematic way for the facts that justify it, a legal response and therefore a follow-up of the perpetrators of these facts who, in the event of a repeat offense, can be sanctioned more effectively.
We keep hearing that justice has no means, that files are piling up on the offices of magistrates. Why create a new center for animals?
It is not because we are confronted with a phenomenon of judicial embolism that we should not deal with this phenomenon. It has to be dealt with, no more and no less, and I think that to do that, you need different organisations.
Where will you find the magistrates who will manage these cases?
I personally wanted to be part of it directly. I believe that everyone has to get involved: there is a project manager, an assistant lawyer, a statistician who will work with us. But at the level of the courts, the prosecutors will appoint lead magistrates and above all recruit delegates from the prosecutor specializing in animal abuse who will be able to help monitor these procedures and, for facts which are not extremely serious but which justify a reaction, to ensure that people regularize situations. It is this very concrete, very effective response that we are going to put in place with the support of the voluntary sector, which has an important role to play. As you know, we have an association in Toulouse called ‘Les quatre pattounes’ which is headed by a police captain who knows our operating methods.
What are you saying, Franck Rastoul, that this pole will serve justice in general?
You know, I don’t think there is more violence. There are not several barbarisms. There is only one form of barbarism which is exercised with regard to fragile beings such as children and animals. There is a sphere of impunity because these victims cannot complain. We must deal with this phenomenon and respond to the demands of associations and society which today no longer supports a certain number of phenomena. I have nothing against circuses, but as you know, mistreatment is the acts that can be committed against an animal by a single person. But there are also heavier phenomena such as the phenomena that concern zoos and circuses. I am also thinking of facts such as doping in the equestrian world. All these facts we have to deal with.
Franck Rastoul also mentioned the bear file in Ariège. Watch his full video interview above.