Spanish justice has marked a turning point in the protection of sentient beings following the recent ruling in a case that has shocked Catalan public opinion. For the first time in our legal history, a criminal court judge in Barcelona has issued a final conviction against two people who used live animals for sacrifices linked to Santeria rituals, a giant step towards ending the impunity of these shadowy practices.
The case, which was resolved through an oral ruling following an agreement between the parties, highlights a reality that often goes unnoticed in our city neighborhoods. The investigation, largely driven by the tenacity of volunteers from the NGO AnimaNaturalis, uncovered a true weekly horror in the Canyadó neighborhood of Badalona, ​​where... They slaughtered and decapitated dozens of animals for private ceremonies without any neighbor daring to raise the alarm for years.
The end of a network of weekly sacrifices in Badalona
Everything started to go wrong for those involved on October 23, 2020, when the Badalona Municipal Police intercepted the now-convicted individuals transporting two cardboard boxes that appeared to be simple packages. However, inside, a rooster, nine hens, and three quail were crammed together in deplorable conditions, without a single opening for air to enter, which meant a extreme risk to the lives of birds that were going to be sacrificed that same day.
Prior surveillance was crucial, as it revealed that the ringleader, a santero of Argentinian origin, had the collaboration of others who supplied him with lambs, pigeons, and other animals. The animals' bodies were thrown into garbage containers close by once the blood ritual was over, a practice that those involved acknowledged during the investigation phase of the judicial process, admitting that there was no type of stunning prior to the bleeding.
Prison sentences and a pioneering disqualification
The final sentence, although it will not result in the immediate imprisonment of the defendants due to their lack of prior convictions, establishes a punishment of 15 months and 20 days in prison for five counts of animal abuse resulting in death. What has truly caught the attention of experts in animal welfare law in Spain It is the imposed ban of six and a half years for to practice professions related to animalsextending also to ownership and cohabitation in the domestic sphere.
For the three offenses in which the birds did not die but suffered serious consequences, the prison sentence has been commuted to a fine of just over six hundred euros. It is important to note that a mitigating circumstance due to undue delaysSince the process has taken more than five years to come to an end, this has lessened the forcefulness of the final sentence, leaving a bittersweet taste among animal rights activists.
The critical condition of the rescued animals
Although the police intervened in time to prevent the slaughter of thirteen birds, the outcome was not happy for all of them due to the mistreatment they suffered during transport. The birds were urgently sent to the Gaia Sanctuary Foundation, where the veterinary team found a devastating clinical picture: eight of the hens presented with severe dyspnea and conjunctivitis, and died. five of them due to respiratory problems derived from extreme overcrowding in closed boxes.
The prosecution has emphasized that these types of sentences are necessary tools, but still insufficient to deter those who profit from these ceremonies. It is estimated that the prices for these rituals can range from fifty euros for a simple bird to thousands of euros for complex initiationsThis makes this illegal activity a very lucrative business that operates with complete discretion through the internet and closed networks of contacts.
This legal precedent in Barcelona sends a resounding message to society as a whole about the limits of freedom of religion when it clashes head-on with animal welfare and current regulations. The firm conviction of these two individuals makes it clear that no tradition or personal belief can justify the deliberate suffering of a living being, consolidating a legal path where citizen reporting and active surveillance They are presented as the only effective weapons to prevent these scenes of cruelty from being repeated with impunity in our neighborhoods.
