DThe relatives of the jogger killed by a bear in northern Italy have managed to initiate criminal proceedings against 18 people for defamation and insinuations. According to Italian media on Wednesday, prosecutors were able to complete their preliminary investigations and file charges. Andrea Papi, then 26 years old, was attacked and fatally injured by a bear near Caldes in Val di Sole in Trentino at the beginning of April 2023.
Based on bite and scratch marks on the corpse, the authorities identified bear JJ4 as responsible for the jogger's death and released the animal for shooting. Animal protection organizations had tried to prove with a counter-report that Papi had actually been attacked by a full-grown male bear. In court, the animal rights activists achieved the suspension of the shooting decree against JJ4 and the placement of the animal, which was captured soon after the incident, in a game reserve in Casteller. The bear, known by animal rights activists as Gaia, still lives there today. It could be moved to a nature reserve in Romania in the near or distant future.
Family received threats
After the incident, the dead jogger and his survivors were subjected to accusations and insults from radical animal rights activists. At a memorial and solidarity run for Andrea Papi, a person entered the list of participants under the name “JJ4”. The jogger was widely accused of misbehaving and provoking the animal to attack in self-defense. The president of the autonomous province of Trentino, Maurizio Fugatti, who authorized the bear to be shot, and his family received death threats.
Among those accused of libel to the detriment of the deceased's reputation is the radio presenter Daniela Martani, who has also achieved a certain celebrity status due to her participation in relevant reality shows. On April 10 last year – just five days after Andrea Papi's death – Martani accused his surviving relatives on WhatsApp of “instrumentalizing” their pain, while the animal responsible for the jogger's death was “not to blame”. Martani responded to the accusation that she should be prosecuted as a “convinced animal rights activist” for freely expressing her opinion and casting doubt on the circumstances of Andrea Papi's death. “I am sure that the investigation against me will lead to nothing. Libel charges are used as a weapon to intimidate those who express critical views. But I’m not afraid,” Martani said.
The fiancée of the killed jogger, however, expressed the hope that Martani “will have to pay for all the pain she caused us.” After the insults and provocations, Papi's partner Alessia Gregori wrote on her Facebook page: “You have attacked me with every insult imaginable. You extremists should burn in hell!”
Fines and even prison sentences are possible
According to Article 595 of the Italian Penal Code, the accused face a prison sentence of between six months and three years or a fine of at least 516 euros for damaging the reputation of a person “through any means of dissemination”. The penalty can also be imposed for comments, photos or caricatures in relevant social network channels such as Facebook, Instagram or Whatsapp.
At the beginning of March, the parliament of the autonomous province of Trentino passed a law with a large majority that allows the shooting of up to eight bears per year. Afterwards, two adult females, two adult males and four young animals can be shot this year and next year. Without reducing the bear population, it would grow to about 250 animals in 15 years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. There are currently around 100 adult brown bears in Trentino. At the last count in 2022 there were 85.
The animal protection association LAV announced a lawsuit against the new law. “This law is just a blatant vendetta that will not increase the safety of the citizens of Trentino,” the association said in a statement. Provincial President Fugatti from the right-wing national party Lega defended the law. “Our priority is to ensure the safety of the Trentino population and to protect farms and businesses with livestock.” There should be no compromises when it comes to protecting people. “Dangerous bears must be killed,” said Fugatti. The relocation of “problem bears” abroad, proposed by animal rights activists, is not a solution because many countries have already refused to accept these bears.
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