The case concerning the killing of a roe deer has resurfaced. The Bolesławiec prosecutor’s office charged the suspect. Investigators told us that the charge concerns an act under Article 35(1) of the Animal Protection Act. The suspect did not plead guilty and refused to give an explanation.

Prosecutor’s office analysing the materials

After the charges were presented, the proceedings entered the stage of final procedural steps. This includes, among other things, analysing the evidence before a decision concluding the case is made. The prosecutor indicated that various scenarios are possible at this stage. The proceedings may end in discontinuation, conditional discontinuation, or they may also end with an indictment.

The final decision will depend on an assessment of all the collected evidence.

Separate thread concerning police officers

A separate thread concerning the potential liability of police officers was also separated from the case. However, this thread is being handled by investigators from Lubań.

We will return to the subject.

Let us recall. The incident occurred on Tuesday, 14 April, in Szczytnica, in Bolesławiec County. The report concerned an injured roe deer, probably hit by a vehicle.

A police patrol and – following a report from residents – the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre were sent to the scene. As MP Łukasz Litewka recounted, the centre’s staff arrived within about a dozen minutes of being called.

According to the account, when they arrived at the scene, the animal was already dead. A man was reportedly standing over the roe deer and, witnesses claim, had decided on his own to kill it. A police officer was nearby.

A recording documenting part of the incident appeared online. It contains an emotional reaction from a witness:

Gentlemen, the guy is finishing it off and the police officer… You’re simply murderers

The man also addresses the person who killed the animal:

What was wrong with it, sir? This will all be published. What does it have broken? And how do you know? Do you have an X-ray in your hand?

A brief response can be heard on the recording:

I saw it

The police presented their own findings. An official statement said that officers found an injured roe deer at the scene and a man whom they knew to be a hunter with the appropriate authorisations.

They reported:

Initial findings indicate that the man assessed its health as not offering any prospect of recovery and made a decision he considered appropriate to the situation.

After the intervention, the animal was taken to a veterinarian. The examination revealed serious injuries:

The examination found numerous external injuries and a fractured spine

The police remind the public that such actions are regulated by the Animal Protection Act. At the same time, the county police chief ordered additional steps to be taken:

Steps aimed at determining whether the decisions and actions taken were appropriate

The case sparked widespread discussion on social media and raised questions about the course of the intervention and the role of the services present at the scene. The results of the explanatory proceedings are to determine whether the actions complied with the applicable law.