Overview
- Sanctioned by an Aix-en-Provence court, the defendant known as Massoud S was given a 30-month prison term, ordered off French territory and placed on the register of sexual and violent offenders.
- Sanctuary staff first raised alarms after finding rope marks, vulva injuries and blood on animals in February, and they installed CCTV around the affected enclosures.
- Police used the surveillance footage and DNA evidence to carry out an April operation that led to the man’s arrest while officers say he was committing an assault.
- The defendant denied the charges at trial and offered mitigation about homelessness and trauma after fleeing Afghanistan, while a psychiatric assessment recorded dismissive comments about the animals.
- Le Refuge d'un Moment says the incident has left staff traumatised and facing veterinary and legal costs, and the sanctuary has launched fundraising as it reviews security and animal protection measures.