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Allgäu animal scandal trial: farmers in court for animal cruelty!
The trial against farmers for 58 violations of the Animal Welfare Act begins in Memmingen on January 20, 2026.
Allgäu animal scandal trial: farmers in court for animal cruelty!
It has been more than six years since the “Allgäu animal scandal” made headlines, but now the trial against two farmers from Bad Grönenbach and their two employees is finally on the agenda before the Memmingen regional court. The defendants face 58 allegations against the Animal Protection Act, the details of which are anything but harmless. They are accused of not calling a vet for cattle in need of treatment and of improperly transporting them with a wheel loader. In this context, courts speak of considerable pain and suffering that the animals experienced as a result of the defendant's actions. In order to save time and money, they accepted the unfortunate circumstances, as allgaeuhit.de reports.
The legal consequences could be serious: convicted farmers and their employees could face up to three years in prison or high fines. The company, which had since been cast in a negative light by the “Soko Tierschutz” association, came into public discussion in 2019 when hidden recordings revealed the cruel events in the stable. Confidence in animal husbandry was shaken with some frightening images from the stable.
The farmers' perspective
But the Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV) urgently warns against general suspicion against all farmers. Many difficulties on farms are often the result of unfortunate circumstances, such as family illnesses or strokes of fate. The challenges in agriculture are diverse, and not every farm manages to survive without external support. With this in mind, the BBV has launched a pilot project to flexibly bring in experts as soon as problems arise. A sensible step to counteract even worse grievances.
In addition, the suggestion from veterinarian Kai Braunmiller to introduce a reporting requirement for farm visitors was also raised during the discussion. This calls for video cameras with internet access to be installed at suspicious businesses in order to detect and document violations of the Animal Welfare Act at an earlier stage.
The long road to trial
The long road to the opening of the proceedings is not without blame. Much has been held up by priority procedures and the preparation of extensive reports for each individual animal has delayed the necessary negotiations. A total of 16 trial days are scheduled until May 19, 2026, and despite the serious allegations, the presumption of innocence must still be respected, as the bayerische Rundschau emphasizes.