The House Environment Committee intends to submit amendments to introduce penalties into legislation for the mistreatment of dead animals, the committee’s chair, MP Charalambos Theopemptou of the Ecologists’ Movement, said on Wednesday. He noted that in other countries such acts can carry prison sentences.
Members of the committee expressed outrage over a recent incident involving the mistreatment of a turtle in the Chloraka area, while also highlighting the need for more effective prevention and deterrence of similar cases.
Mistreatment should not be tolerated
The committee discussed the increasing number of animal abuse incidents, with the discussion focusing on the case involving a turtle on a beach in the Chloraka community.
Speaking after the meeting, Theopemptou said that following the viewing of what he described as “the unacceptable video of the turtle in Chloraka”, it became apparent that there may be gaps in awareness and training among local authority staff regarding the protocols to be followed when dead animals are found and how they should be handled, particularly in protected areas.
He also said that a broader legislative gap was identified regarding how individuals should treat dead animals. In other countries, he noted, such behaviour is punishable by law, including custodial sentences. For this reason, he said, the Environment Committee has agreed to submit amendments to introduce a clear penalty into legislation for anyone who mistreats a dead animal.
Dozens of animal abuse complaints daily
According to Theopemptou, this is one of the issues the committee intends to examine “immediately” at upcoming meetings.
AKEL MP Marina Nicolaou said that a “shocking incident” involving the abuse of a turtle in Chloraka had recently come to light, involving, as the community leader acknowledged earlier, four employees of the local community council.
She said the incident, combined with the dozens of animal abuse complaints received daily, has caused revulsion and anger within society.
“As AKEL, we categorically oppose all forms of violence against animals,” Nicolaou said. “Animal abuse is not merely a violation; it is an attack on how we perceive life itself and on respect for life.”
She added that condemning individual incidents is not sufficient and stressed the need for the competent authorities to assume immediate responsibility to ensure meaningful prevention and deterrence.
An offence to human dignity
She said the Animal Police, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Justice have a responsibility to activate all relevant mechanisms without delay, particularly in terms of prevention, investigation and the imposition of penalties where necessary.
Nicolaou also expressed the committee’s intention to legislate where required to prevent similar incidents in the future.
DIKO MP Christos Orphanides called for “exemplary punishment” in relation to the video showing the mistreatment of the turtle on a beach in the Chloraka community.
“Even if it was dead, as stated by the competent departments, the brutality of the blows offends human dignity,” he said. He criticised the police decision to pursue a complaint for public nuisance, describing it as unacceptable and insufficient.
“For this reason, we are calling for exemplary punishment. Society as a whole is demanding and requiring it,” he said.