Government response

Animal Aid abattoir cruelty footage: myth busted

Animal cruelty is completely unacceptable, and we vigorously pursue action wherever we can.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 29 July 2011

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The myth: Animal Aid has used undercover filming to show abuse at a slaughterhouse, and is criticising Defra for not seeking a prosecution - with the implication that the department does not care about animal welfare.

The truth: This is not true. Animal cruelty is completely unacceptable, and we vigorously pursue action wherever we can. But as Defra found in a previous prosecution based on an Animal Aid video, if the evidence has been obtained unlawfully through trespass there is very little prospect of securing a conviction.

Published 29 July 2011