Overview
- GIP Gianmarco Giua found sufficient evidence to proceed against Maurizio Fugatti for killing an animal with cruelty under Article 544-bis.
- The court cited breaches of the PACOBACE protocol, noting no sedation despite a radiocollar and no veterinarian on site, with an autopsy finding death by internal bleeding after a prolonged agony.
- Three shots were fired during the operation and two struck the animal, which the judge said led to avoidable suffering.
- Two provincial officials, Raffaele De Col and Giovanni Giovannini, were ordered registered as suspects for carrying out what the judge called an unlawful order.
- The bear was killed hours after Fugatti’s February 6, 2024 removal decree, as he now defends the decision as a public-safety measure while ENPA praises the ruling and calls it a “historic moment.”