Denmark's Central Jutland Court has acquitted a Polish truck driver and his company in a case concerning the deaths of 67 piglets during transport. The verdict concludes a case where prosecutors argued the animals died from overheating and suffocation due to a failure to use mechanical ventilation, but the court found it was not proven the driver acted against rules or common practice.
The Fatal Transport
The case dates back to a morning in September 2020. The driver was tasked with transporting 680 weaned piglets from a farmer in Skanderborg to a collection center in Egtved, from where they were destined for export to foreign buyers. Upon arrival, some piglets were already dead, while others had to be immediately euthanized. A later expert assessment concluded the animals died from hyperthermia, circulatory collapse, and shock, having been subjected to what the indictment called "the highest degree of pain, suffering, and anxiety."
The Prosecution's Case
Special prosecutor Pernille Moesborg argued for a 60-day prison sentence for the driver. She stated his primary duty was to care for the animals during transit. "He should have listened to sounds from the trailer. Was there unrest? He could also have turned on the mechanical ventilation or taken a break to air it out. He didn't do that either," the prosecutor told the court. The prosecution also sought a fine of at least 50,000 Danish kroner for the transport company, alleging "grossly negligent treatment amounting to abuse."
A key technical point involved tire temperature. The temperature on one of the truck's five tires was recorded at 38.4 degrees Celsius during loading that September morning. According to a statement from the Veterinary Health Council cited in court, temperatures above 28.9 degrees are critical for pigs, which cannot sweat.
The Defense and the Acquittal
The driver pleaded not guilty. His defense lawyer, Niels Christian Strauss, argued for the acquittal of both his client and the company. He pointed to the absence of a legally defined maximum temperature for transports under eight hours. "We know the piglets were hot, but all the rules were followed," Strauss said. "You cannot punish my client when you haven't told him what he did wrong."
The court in Kolding, consisting of a judge and two lay judges, agreed with the defense. They found it was not proven that the driver had acted contrary to regulations or established practice in the field. The company was also acquitted of all charges.
Reaction and Regulatory Context
The acquittal frustrated observers from animal welfare organizations. Ditte Erichsen, a veterinarian with Dyrenes Beskyttelse (The Danish Animal Protection Society) who followed the trial, expressed shock. "To me, it's obvious that these pigs died from a lack of air. There was no ventilation that could lower the temperature or ensure they got oxygen," she said.
The case highlights the complex interplay between animal welfare regulations and practical logistics in Denmark's substantial live animal export trade. While the EU's animal transport regulations stipulate general requirements for space, ventilation, and welfare, their application in specific scenarios, especially regarding extreme weather, can become a matter of legal interpretation. The defense's argument hinged on the absence of a specific, broken rule, whereas the prosecution focused on the broader duty of care.
The Scale of Danish Pig Exports
This incident occurs within a major agricultural export sector. Denmark is one of the world's largest exporters of pigs and pig meat. In a typical year, millions of live piglets and slaughter pigs are transported within Denmark and across Europe. The industry operates under strict EU regulations (Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005), which mandate that animals must be fit for the journey, transporters must be authorized, and journeys over eight hours must use approved vehicle systems that control temperature and air flow.
The Egtved collection center, the destination of the fatal transport, is part of this extensive network designed to gather animals from multiple farms before larger-scale export journeys, often to breeding or fattening facilities in other EU countries. The welfare of animals during these often long-distance transports remains a point of ongoing public and political debate, balancing economic interests with ethical concerns.
A Question of Enforcement
The verdict raises questions about the enforcement of animal welfare laws in transport. When the technical specifications of a vehicle are met, but animals still perish from heat stress, it challenges the sufficiency of the existing regulatory framework. Prosecutors must prove not just a tragic outcome, but a clear legal breach. This case demonstrates the difficulty in doing so when relying on principles of "gross negligence" rather than a violation of a specific, quantifiable rule.
Industry representatives often state that the vast majority of transports are completed without incident, thanks to modern equipment and training. However, critics argue that the very nature of transporting vulnerable, young animals over distances in variable climates carries inherent risks that current rules may not adequately mitigate. They point to incidents like this as evidence for the need for more precise thresholds, such as legally binding maximum external temperatures for loading or traveling with certain animal categories.