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Swiss courts crackdown on animal cruelty

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The number of people sentenced for animal cruelty in Switzerland has tripled in the past decade, Swiss newspapers reported on Sunday.

Swiss courts handed down 474 convictions in 2017, according to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical OfficeExternal link. There were only 166 cases in 2007.

These figures were cited by the SonntagsZeitung and Le Matin Dimanche newspapers.

“This means that the population looks more closely and reports crimes more consistently,” said Gieri Bolliger, managing director of animal rights foundation Tier im RechExternal link(TIR).

Swiss judges determined that 82% of those tried in 2017 had acted with premeditation; however, they remained lenient. 

While the law provides for sentences of up to 360 days, animal torturers were sentenced to an average of 30 days, according to a TIR tally.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR