Březka game park manager cleared of criminal animal cruelty charges

A court in Prague-East has ruled that Libor Beníček, the former manager of the Březka game park near Kostelec u Křížků, did not commit the criminal offense of animal cruelty. The case, which involved allegations of mistreating cats caught in traps and the cruel killing of one animal, has been referred to the Municipal Authority in Říčany for misdemeanor proceedings.

Judge Martina Tomášová stated that the video evidence from camera traps, which had been stolen from the area, was “weak” because the footage was incomplete and edited. While the court acknowledged that being caught in a trap is stressful for animals, it found no proof that Beníček acted with intentional cruelty or in a torturous manner.

Beníček denied all wrongdoing, testifying that he was obligated to protect the park's livestock, such as deer and rabbits, from predators. He claimed he used the traps to catch predators like foxes and martens, and that he attempted to remove stray cats to protect the breeding stock. Prosecutor Dalibor Šelleng, who had requested a thirty-month suspended sentence, has filed an appeal against the decision.