23/03/2026

The Court of Perugia has accepted the plea bargain request submitted by Giovanni Barbetta, the defendant in the proceedings arising from the investigation into illegal horse slaughtering between Umbria and Puglia, which IHP had opposed.

The defendant was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months’ imprisonment, with the sentence converted into community service. The Court also set the financial amounts relating to the civil parties, recognising a compensatory offer of 600 euros. IHP, which joined the proceedings as a civil party and is represented by attorney Valentina Piccioli, strongly criticises this outcome, considering it inadequate in light of the seriousness of the alleged conduct.

We had already expressed our opposition to the plea bargain because this is a case which, given the allegations and its impact on animal protection as well as the public interest in legality and traceability, requires an effective and proportionate response. Converting the prison sentence into community service and awarding a symbolic compensation to the associations risk sending a devastating message: that crimes of this gravity can be concluded without any real deterrent effect.

For IHP, the point is not to “monetise” the case, but to stress that the outcome of the proceedings must be proportionate to conduct which—according to the prosecution’s case—concerns not only violence against animals, but also issues of food safety, traceability and the reliability of public records.

The proceedings stem from an operation by the NAS Carabinieri unit in Perugia on 5 February 2025, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, concerning an alleged system that would have sent for slaughter equids not intended for food production, bypassing health checks and traceability requirements. In previous hearings, IHP had already warned of the risk of a “watered-down” outcome compared to the scope of the facts and had called for the utmost rigour in assessing whether the penalty was proportionate.

For IHP, this case goes beyond a single trial: when control and registration systems can be bypassed or manipulated, a fundamental safeguard is weakened—one that is essential for the protection of equids, for consumer safety, and for the credibility of the State in combating illegal supply chains.