Biserka Štefančić charged with 47 animal‑cruelty offences on Croatia’s Učka

The Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Rijeka has brought a criminal indictment against 77‑year‑old Croatian citizen Biserka Štefančić for 47 counts of animal killing and mistreatment. The charges relate to the neglect and abuse of dozens of dogs and cats kept on the Vela Učka estate between 2022 and May 9 2026. Prosecutors allege that she, together with her now‑deceased partner, denied the animals food, water and veterinary care, confined them in unhygienic conditions and caused the deaths of at least 35 dogs, while around 30 animal carcasses were discovered on the property.

The case came to light after the partner died in a traffic accident while transporting two dogs, one of which died in the crash. Authorities seized 79 dogs and six cats, and veterinary teams described the rescue as one of the worst they had encountered. The indictment proposes extending Štefančić’s pre‑trial detention, citing a risk of flight and of repeating the offences. The revelations have sparked public outrage across Croatia.