2023-12-12 17:46:07
The Antwerp Criminal Court granted the suspension of the sentence to Selena Ali (26 years old), originally from Stabroek, for hiding a kitten in 2020, when a seizure had been imposed by Afsca.
In April 2020, Selena Ali brought the kitten back from Peru, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, on a flight that repatriated her to Belgium, without authorization from the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (Afsca). However, Peru is considered at high risk for rabies. The cat, Lee, had been vaccinated but had not spent enough time in quarantine. Afsca had declared a seizure of the animal, but the kitten could stay with Selena in Stabroek. Nine days later, Afsca decided that the cat had to be euthanized.
The young girl had lodged an appeal with the Council of State against this decision, but it was dismissed. Selena had until May 11 of the same year to have the beast bitten, which she did not do. The federal agency then took the matter to court.
At the beginning of June 2020, the Antwerp court ruled that Afsca’s decision to euthanize the feline was illegal. The kitten was eventually flown back to Peru and was able to legally return to Belgium after vaccination and quarantine. Selena Ali paid Afsca an administrative fine of 1,600 euros and thought the case was closed. But Afsca filed a complaint against the young woman for having hidden Lee during the seizure.
The girl requested acquittal, but the court found the facts established. The latter, however, took into account the context, the young age of the defendant, and her clean criminal record. She therefore benefited from the suspension of the sentence. Afsca receives one euro in damages.
1702420851
#Suspension #sentence #owner #kitten #Lee #brought #illegally #Belgium #health #crisis