At the hearing on 17 December, the preliminary hearing judge (GUP) of the Court of Catanzaro admitted Animal Law Italia as a civil party, along with seven other associations, in the proceedings concerning the serious mistreatment that took place in the laboratories of the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro.
This is a decisive step. The judge has in fact granted ALI’s request for the citation of civil defendants: the Ministry of Education and Merit, the Ministry of Health, the ASP of Catanzaro and the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro.
At the next hearing on 28 January, these parties will be summoned to appear as civil defendants and the judge will assess any requests for exclusion.
This result makes it possible to raise the level of the proceedings: no longer merely a local case, but a precedent of national significance, which calls to account the institutions that had a duty to oversee what was happening inside the animal facilities. It is here that the trial takes on a systemic dimension, calling into question the current model of oversight over publicly funded research involving animals.
We thank attorney Francesca Romana Dresda for the expertise and determination with which she is representing Animal Law Italia in these complex and delicate proceedings.
«Yesterday’s hearing represents a first, significant and by no means foregone step in the proceedings. In this context, we filed a request to cite as civil defendants the Offices involved, which have shown disinterest in the matter by not joining the proceedings as civil parties, despite being legally recognised as persons harmed by the offences charged. The trial will now see us working alongside the Prosecution to achieve our objectives» states attorney Francesca Romana Dresda.
An equally heartfelt thank-you goes to the supporters of ALI: without your constant support, none of this would have been possible.
The GUP has also scheduled the remaining hearings, including those relating to defendants who have requested alternative trial procedures. The preliminary hearing is expected to conclude by the end of February; thereafter, for those who do not opt for alternative procedures, the full trial will begin, where the judicial truth will be established.
Animal Law Italia will be there every step of the way. To obtain justice for the animals involved and to turn this trial into a concrete opportunity to call into question the public research system in Italy, demanding legality, transparency and compliance with animal welfare obligations.