PRESS RELEASE
The perpetrators of the recent brutal dog abuse in the Arta area have been identified
The Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate and the Arta and Ioannina Police Directorates participated in the investigations to identify the perpetrators
These are three Roma minors who doused a dog with flammable liquid and set it on fire
A fourth person is also being sought who filmed and posted the controversial material online
The Minister of Public Order & Citizen Protection, Mr. Vasilis Kikilias, on the occasion of the immediate identification of the perpetrators, stated, among other things:
"The protection of animals is a matter of moral order and a sign of civilization and humanity... I will repeat it once again: No tolerance for such behaviors."
Following investigations carried out by the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate and the Arta and Ioannina Police Directorates, the perpetrators were identified, who recently doused a dog with flammable liquid and set it on fire in an area of Arta.
It is noted that this heinous act was videotaped and the material in question was posted on the internet, which is why the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate received a number of complaints.
The identification of the perpetrators was preceded by preliminary actions by the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate, which informed the Athens First Instance Prosecutor's Office and ordered the conduct of a Preliminary Examination.
In the context of lifting the secrecy of communications and in cooperation with internet companies, the electronic traces of the controversial video were located in a Roma camp in Arta.
Today (30-09-2014) early in the morning, a police operation was organized in which police officers from the Arta and Ioannina Police Directorates participated, while an Officer from the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate also participated.
As part of the police operation, the three Roma minors, aged 11, 14 and 16, were identified as the perpetrators of the heinous act. At the same time, investigations are continuing to identify a fourth perpetrator, who participated in the videotaping and posting of the controversial material on the internet.
A criminal case has been filed against the above perpetrators, while the three minors have been brought to the Arta District Court Prosecutor's Office.
It is noted that the administrators of the controversial social networking companies and internet pages, which hosted the specific video, responded to a relevant written notification from the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate and immediately withdrew - deleted the controversial material.
The Minister of Public Order & Citizen Protection, Mr. Vasilis Kikilias, on the occasion of the immediate identification of the perpetrators, stated: "The protection of animals is a matter of moral order and a sign of civilization and humanity. Following our initiative to tighten the penalties imposed on those who abuse animals, we confirm daily our decision to punish those who violate written and unwritten rules for their protection. I will repeat it once again: No tolerance for such behaviors."
