Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Animal Cruelty |
Sentence: |
"4,600 fine" |
Years Imprisoned: |
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Year Crime: |
2014 |
Year Convicted: |
2015 |
Year Cleared: |
2016 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Italy |
County or Region of Crime: |
Genoa |
City of Crime: |
Val Bisagno |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Two Muslim men were convicted of animal cruelty for cutting the throat of a goat in the street, and then while it was still conscious hanging it upside down to bleed to death, in Val Bisagno, Genoa, Italy in 2014. The animal was killed during the Islamic celebration of Eid al-Adha, an annual celebration during which an animal is sacrificed to commemorate the prophet Abraham. According to the Koran Abraham was asked to murder his own son, Isaac, at God's command, but as he was about to do so, an angel appeared and told him to stop. It was a test of Abrahams faith to follow God's will. The two men were fined 4,600. The two men, Romanian travellers (Gypsies), appealed. In May 2016 the appeals court in Genoa overturned the men's conviction, with Judge Mauro Amisano writing that animal cruelty charges presume the lack of any valid motive which renders the cruelty abject and futile. Judge Amisano wrote that the men had a valid motive because it was part of a religious festival and had been carried out according to longstanding tradition. The judge also noted that, As part of a religious practice, one can assume the men did not expose the animal to any additional suffering. It cannot be considered illegal because it is a practice which is permitted by the freedom of religious expression."" |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"In May 2016 the appeals court in Genoa overturned the men's conviction, with Judge Mauro Amisano writing that animal cruelty charges presume the lack of any valid motive which renders the cruelty abject and futile. Judge Amisano wrote that the men had a valid motive because it was part of a religious festival and had been carried out according to longstanding tradition. The judge also noted that, As part of a religious practice, one can assume the men did not expose the animal to any additional suffering. It cannot be considered illegal because it is a practice which is permitted by the freedom of religious expression."" |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
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Age When Released: |
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Sex: |
Male |
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Information Source 1: |
"Italian court absolves two men over public goat slaughter, By Matteo Indice (for La Stampa), thelocal.it, May 9, 2016" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.thelocal.it/20160509/italian-court-absolves-two-muslims-fined-over-public-goat-slaughter |
Information Source 2: |
"Capretto sgozzato in strada: assolti due rom musulmani, Per i giudici il rito religioso prevale sulla crudeltà verso gli animali, By Matteo Indice La Stampa (Italia), May 9, 2016" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.lastampa.it/2016/05/09/italia/cronache/crudelt-sugli-animali-assolti-due-macellai-musulmani-xnGpJAN46vAEPz7OcGjUxL/pagina.html |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org