The Criminal Court of Palma has acquitted two individuals accused of doping trot horses after declaring the case prescribed, which had been stagnant for over six years in a court in Manacor.
Justice has brought an end to more than eleven years of judicial proceedings with an acquittal. The Criminal Court of Palma issued a ruling yesterday acquitting two individuals accused of doping trot horses, after the Prosecutor's Office informed in favour of the case being dismissed due to the prescription of the crime. The case, known as 'Operation Cabriol', began in 2015 with the arrest of eight individuals by the Seprona of the Civil Guard, but it remained stalled for over six years in a court in Manacor.
The key to the prescription lies in the time elapsed without procedural advances. The investigating court issued an order on 28 September 2017 to examine some horses. However, the next resolution recorded in the proceedings did not arrive until 28 February 2023, when the steps for the trial began. This timeframe exceeded the five years that mark the prescription for crimes committed in 2015. The judge accepted this timeline and declared the matter prescribed, leading to an acquittal accepted by all parties present.
The Prosecutor's Office had initially requested a three-month prison sentence for the two accused for the death of three horses and for causing injuries to another nine animals. According to the Public Ministry, the accused, linked to the trot world, were engaged in the sale and distribution of veterinary products without permission and supplied them to horses in their stable to enhance their performance in races. These medications caused serious injuries to the animals, according to the provisional conclusions of the accusation. Three of the horses died: one after a leg fracture, another due to repeated probing to overstimulate it, and a third due to colic also caused by the administration of the medications.
The issue of prescription had already been raised by the defence in preliminary hearings, but on this occasion, the Prosecutor's Office changed its stance and adopted it. The defences were still contesting a previous decision not to consider the prescription. However, the acquittal could be appealed to the Provincial Court by the Balearic Association of Lawyers for Animal Rights (ABADA), which was exercising the popular accusation. ABADA included other crimes in its accusation, such as business corruption, and raised the prison requests to three years.
The case, which began with eight detainees, has been reduced to two accused after more than eleven years of proceedings. The stagnation of the Manacor court for over six and a half years without moving a single document has been decisive for the prescription. 'Operation Cabriol' was one of the most significant investigations against doping in the trot world in the Balearics, and its outcome leaves a bittersweet taste among animal rights advocates.
For the residents of Mallorca, especially those linked to the equestrian sector and trot racing, this acquittal represents a setback in the fight against animal doping. The lack of judicial speed has prevented accountability for the deaths of three horses and the injuries to another nine. The case highlights the need to expedite judicial procedures to prevent serious crimes from going unpunished due to the passage of time.
The acquittal is final in the first instance, but an appeal can still be made to the Provincial Court. The popular accusation, exercised by ABADA, is considering whether to file an appeal to try to reverse the decision. Meanwhile, the two accused remain free of any charges after more than a decade of judicial proceedings.
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