The German Animal Welfare Association has filed a criminal complaint against modern pentathlete Annika Schleu and national trainer Kim Raisner after the events at the Olympic Games.
As the organization announced on Friday, it accuses Schleu of animal cruelty due to the events at the equestrian competition and Raisner of aiding and abetting animal cruelty.
The horse drawn by Schleu had refused in the course in Tokyo, Raisner had asked the crying Berliner to use the whip with the words “Hit it, hit it right!”. Animals have no place in a performance-oriented competition between people, said Tierschutzbund President Thomas Schröder. The advertisement also serves to fundamentally clarify this problem. Schleu failed to gain insight in subsequent interviews, criticized the Animal Welfare Association.
In an interview with the weekly newspaper Die Zeit, Schleu once again defended himself against the accusation of torturing her horse in a competition.
“I didn't treat the horse extremely harshly.
I had a crop with me that was checked beforehand.
Just like the spurs.
I am really not aware of any animal cruelty, ”said the 31-year-old.
But she also confessed that she might have said earlier, "okay, it just has no value".
Afterwards she felt left alone by the world association, whose German President Klaus Schormann did not speak to her.
Tierschutzbund President Schröder described Schormann's (75) resignation as overdue.