27/02/2026
Yesterday, before the Court of Perugia, the preliminary hearing was held in relation to one of the three branches of the criminal proceedings arising from the investigation into the alleged clandestine slaughter of horses in the Perugia area.
The judge ordered three defendants to stand trial, scheduling the opening of the trial before the panel on April 14.
IHP was admitted as a civil party and thus formally enters the proceedings to safeguard equids and the collective interest in legality and transparency.
The origin of the investigation: the NAS operation of February 5, 2025
The proceedings stem from the operation carried out on February 5, 2025, by the Perugia Carabinieri NAS unit, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which led to the execution of precautionary measures against several individuals believed, in various capacities, to be involved in an alleged organized system of clandestine horse slaughter.
According to the findings that emerged during the investigation phase, the suspects allegedly sent equids not intended for food production to slaughter, circumventing health controls and the traceability mechanisms required by law. The charges brought at different stages of the investigation included, among others, animal mistreatment, violations of food safety regulations, and falsification of public records.
The division of the investigation into three separate procedural branches confirms the complexity of the allegations and the systemic significance of the conduct in question.
The role of the equine registry official
Among the most significant elements to emerge during the investigations is the involvement, in related proceedings, of a public official responsible for operating within the National Equine Database.
The official allegedly falsified registry entries relating to several horses, recording transfers and removals that did not correspond to reality. In particular, the administrative code used to remove an animal from the register was allegedly misused, effectively causing the documentary “disappearance” of equids that were subsequently destined for clandestine slaughter.
For this conduct, the same official was sentenced, in separate but related proceedings, to approximately ten months’ imprisonment, suspended, following a plea agreement.
The involvement of an individual operating within the official registration system represents a matter of particular institutional gravity and highlights how, in Italy, the equine registry fails to constitute a fundamental safeguard of legality, animal welfare, and public safety.
The significance of IHP’s civil party status
In this context, the admission of IHP as a civil party carries substantial and strategic significance.
Clandestine slaughter is not only an unacceptable act of violence against animals but also exposes the lack of credibility and effectiveness of the entire traceability system. When official records are altered, a crucial instrument for preventing abuse is undermined at its very foundation. For years, IHP has unsuccessfully called for a serious reform of the equine registry.
IHP’s presence in the trial will enable the association to actively participate in the evidentiary phase, contributing to the establishment of the facts. As none of the three defendants committed for trial requested alternative proceedings, the case will now enter the evidentiary stage, with the presentation of evidence and the possible examination of witnesses.
Through this civil party constitution, IHP reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding equids also within courtrooms, in the conviction that the protection of horses must also pass through the strengthening of public control systems and the full enforcement of criminal liability against those who circumvent or manipulate them.