Not legally binding

Fleischhauer acquitted for lack of evidence

The butcher had been charged with the illegal slaughter of piglets, among other things (symbolic image)

(Bild: APA/dpa-Zentralbild/Jens Büttner)

A butcher was acquitted at Steyr Provincial Court due to lack of evidence. The 47-year-old had been accused of slaughtering piglets and falsifying the papers. But it was not enough for a conviction. A co-defendant, on the other hand, was found guilty. The verdicts are not legally binding.

A 47-year-old company boss of a slaughterhouse in the Steyr-Land district, who allegedly sold piglet meat without the necessary veterinary certification, was acquitted by the court in Steyr on Monday due to lack of evidence. However, the second defendant, who worked as a butcher on the farm, received three months' conditional imprisonment for making false statements to the police. The verdicts are not legally binding, according to a court spokeswoman.

Evidence was missing
On the first day of the trial two weeks ago, the two defendants were accused of having imitated and used veterinary stamps. They denied this. The trial was adjourned because several more documents were requested.

After there was no clear evidence of the guilt of the first defendant, he was acquitted on Monday. However, the court considered the charge of making false statements to be proven and sentenced the co-defendant to three months on condition.