The Public Prosecution Service suspected three slaughterhouses of transporting and slaughtering sick animals. There would also have been fraudulent, causing the meat of those sick animals in the shops could end up.
Research took ‘unreasonably long’
The NVWA conducted investigations at the three slaughterhouses under the supervision of a public prosecutor from the National Prosecutor’s Office. However, because the investigation lasted “unreasonably long”, it was discontinued. “Although we do know that things have happened that should not have happened,” a spokesman for the Public Prosecutor told RTL Nieuws.
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In the Netherlands, a criminal investigation should not last indefinitely. A suspect is entitled to hear within a ‘reasonable time’ what his sentence is for what he has done. In general, this period is about 2 years. The Public Prosecutor’s Office investigated the slaughterhouses in 2018. In that year, one raided at a slaughterhouse in Hoogeveen.
‘We are not satisfied with this’
Recently there have been several conversations between the public prosecutor and the NVWA to encourage the NVWA to investigate more quickly. But without result. “We are not satisfied with this,” said the OM spokesman. “We don’t start research to end up with nothing, because it takes a lot of time and energy.”
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The NVWA cannot yet say why the investigation was conducted too slowly. “We are also looking into that question,” said spokesman Benno Bruggink. “We are now investigating why it could not be completed within those 1.5 years. And if we know that, we will also take measures.”
VVD MP Helma Lodders is shocked by this state of affairs. “It cannot be the case that there is impunity due to slow action by the NVWA.” She has asked parliamentary questions and wants the minister to investigate this ‘to the bottom’. “If you don’t have enough time to provide the information in a two-year period, then there must be something really wrong.”
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‘Not acceptable’
The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) states that it ‘cannot be justified that this has happened’. According to the ministry, this was a criminal offense that cannot be accepted. “That is why it was important to complete the investigation into the suspicion. After all, such violations of our animal welfare standards are unacceptable.”
The ministry: “Minister Schouten has indicated to the inspector general of the NVWA that this state of affairs is not acceptable. The NVWA is taking measures to improve management and prevent similar problems in the future.”
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Many problems within NVWA
The problems at medium-sized slaughterhouses in the north of the Netherlands have caused a crisis within the NVWA. Employees already moved ring the bell internally in 2016 about how sick animals were transported to the farms and slaughtered there. NVWA medical examiners who supervised the companies and their managers knew of the abuses, but did not intervene.
The problems at the NVWA’s Inspection Department were confirmed in last year an investigation report. The director of that department and NVWA CEO Rob van Lint have since left. Van Lint did not receive enough support within the service for his plans to get the organization in order.
In addition to the failing supervision of slaughterhouses, there are even more problems within the NVWA. A failed ICT project resulted in a loss of tens of millions, different parts do not work well together and supervision also fails other sectors.
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