10/03/2026

IHP Italian Horse Protection expresses strong disappointment at the consent given by the Public Prosecutor to the plea bargain request submitted by the defense of Giovanni Barbetta, a defendant in the proceedings arising from the major investigation into the clandestine slaughter of horses between Umbria and Puglia.

At the hearing on March 6 before the Criminal Court of Perugia, the defense requested a plea agreement for a final sentence of 2 years and 6 months, without a suspended sentence, with the custodial penalty to be replaced by community service. The Public Prosecutor gave consent. The Court reserved its decision until the next hearing scheduled for March 20, 2026.

For IHP—admitted as a civil party in the proceedings—the possible acceptance of the plea bargain risks representing an outcome disproportionate to the seriousness of the alleged conduct and its impact, not only in terms of animal protection but also with regard to the public interest in legality, transparency, and traceability.

“The hearing on March 6 concerned one of the most significant defendants in the trial that arose from the major investigation into the illegal slaughter of horses launched by the NAS operation in February 2025,” said attorney Valentina Piccioli, legal counsel for IHP. “In June, an initial branch of the proceedings saw four defendants called to answer for the crimes of criminal association, animal abuse and killing, falsification of electronic public documents, and the trade of harmful food substances. All of them had requested plea bargains. For one of them we pointed out that the proposed sentence was inadequate compared to the seriousness of the facts, and the judge, agreeing with our observation, rejected the plea bargain. At the latest hearing the same defendant submitted a new plea bargain proposal, increasing the sentence and offering compensation—albeit modest—for the associations acting as civil parties. Today we again stated our opposition to that plea bargain which, although it provides for the waiver of a suspended sentence, would allow the custodial penalty to be converted into community service. The Court reserved its decision, which will be communicated at the next hearing on March 20, 2026.”

IHP recalls that the investigation underlying the proceedings concerns an alleged system of clandestine slaughter that reportedly sent equids not intended for food production to slaughterhouses, bypassing health checks and traceability requirements, with investigative hypotheses that also include falsification and tampering with official records. According to the association, this scenario highlights a structural vulnerability in the control system and reinforces the need for an effective and deterrent judicial response.

“The presence of animal protection associations is aimed at seeking justice for the animals that were mistreated—more than 100 horses—and killed with suffering, and at enabling the Court to impose a penalty proportionate to the actual seriousness and dangerousness of the acts,” concluded attorney Piccioli.

IHP hopes that the Court, in its decision expected on March 20, will assess with the utmost rigor the proportionality of any plea bargain, because crimes of this nature cannot be treated as minor incidents—neither in terms of animal protection nor in terms of the State’s credibility in combating illegal systems.