Filenews 18 March 2021
With 32 votes in favour and 2 abstentions, the Plenary of the House amended the Law on Police in order to set up a special branch of members of the Cyprus Police, which will deal with cases of animal abuse and abuse and whose members will be trained at regular intervals for the performance of the tasks provided for in the proposed law.
Previously the Plenary Marginally (in favour of 16, against 15 and 2 abstentions) adopted an amendment of the Ecologists' Movement which added a provision, under which the Animal Police would have the power to investigate any violation of the provisions of the Animal Protection and Welfare Act and the Dog Act, rather than limited to investigating only certain very serious offences provided for in those laws. Two other Amendments by the Ecologists were rejected by one vote.
DISY MP Dimitris Dimitriou said that this is an important law that creates the Animal Police, satisfying a request of citizens who have high in their conscience the protection of animals. It will not solve the problem in its entirety, with the new legislation, but it will help ensure that respect for animals grows day by day, he added.
ACPL MP Evanthia Savva said the law did not live up to expectations, as there would be no more than 10 police officers in the ranks. He added that the ACPL would vote in favour to send the right message and to take even one step forward.
EDEC MP Kostis Efstathiou expressed the view that the law passed is counterproductive, will not offer but will exacerbate the very bad situation with animal abuse. Baptizing, he said, some police officers as animal police will observe the phenomenon, if animal abuse is reported, the complainant is referred to the person who is in the animal protection department, whereas today abuse is a criminal offence and must be dealt with by any police officer who receives a complaint. It stated that a desired result would result in a service similar to the Hunting Service and stated that the EDEC was abstaining
Green Movement MP George Perdikis in the debate leading up to the vote said the Animal Police was a fixed request of animal welfare organisations and animal friends.
We hoped and expected that a body would be created involving animal welfare organisations and lead to coordination in the implementation of animal protection legislation, but the government chose to table in the House an incomplete legislation to set up a ladder for police officers, he said.
Mr. Perdikis expressed the view that nothing is being done in substance and said that the Government had been able since 2012 to appoint special police officers, but did not use the legal weapon given to it by the House and decided to appoint some police officers who, along with their other duties, would also deal with animal welfare or abuse issues.
Source: eyenews/KYPE
