Politis

Parliamentary Committee to Amend Legislation on Animal Abuse Following Turtle Incident

Published January 21, 2026, 16:18
Parliamentary Committee to Amend Legislation on Animal Abuse Following Turtle Incident

The Parliamentary Committee on the Environment is considering amending legislation regarding animal abuse following a serious incident of turtle mistreatment in the Chlorakas area. The Committee Chairman, Charalambos Theopemptou, announced the intention to submit amendments to introduce penalties, including imprisonment as practiced in other countries, for those who mistreat dead animals. Committee members expressed their outrage over the incident, emphasizing the need for prevention and deterrence of similar occurrences. The discussion focused on the lack of clear protocols for managing dead animals by local authorities, as well as the broader legislative gap concerning the abuse of dead animals. AKEL MP Marina Nikolaou highlighted the involvement of employees of the Community Council in the turtle abuse incident, expressing public anger over the increase in animal abuse cases. She stressed that animal abuse is an attack on respect for life. The Committee pledged to promote legislative changes to prevent similar incidents in the future, calling on the competent authorities (Animal Police, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Justice) to activate all mechanisms for prevention, investigation, and enforcement of penalties.