News & Media > Media Releases and Statements > Animal advocates sued by slaughterhouse to block cruelty footage

Animal advocates sued by slaughterhouse to block cruelty footage

Mon 20 May 2024, 9:52am
  • Farm Transparency Project is being sued by a northern Victorian slaughterhouse, after it gave the government footage showing acts of extreme animal cruelty at the slaughterhouse and published that footage on its website
  • The slaughterhouse sought an urgent order from the Federal Court to block the footage from being published, without noifying Farm Transparency Project
  • Farm Transparency has taken down the footage to comply with the order but intends to defend its right to publish it

Prominent animal advocacy organisation Farm Transparency Project is being sued by the Game Meats Company, a slaughterhouse in Eurobin, Victoria, following the release of footage which shows acts of extreme animal cruelty.

Farm Transparency Project had reported the slaughterhouse to the Department of Agriculture, citing significant animal welfare concerns. 

Harley McDonald-Eckersall, of Farm Transparency, states that this attempt by the slaughterhouse to block this footage is yet another example of facilities that profit from animal cruelty attempting to hide their practices from consumers. 

“The fact that this slaughterhouse would prefer to spend tens of thousands of dollars taking us to court rather than address its own shortcomings in animal treatment says a lot about how desperate they might be to keep their practices hidden.”

“If the slaughterhouse really had a social licence for its activities, shedding light on those activities by publishing our footage should not matter to the slaughterhouse.  Yet, they are desperate to prevent footage of what happened at their facility from seeing the light of day.  Why?”

This matter will next be heard before the Federal Court of Australia, 305 William St, Melbourne, Victoria on Tuesday 21st May. 

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