OSLO, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Okokrim) charged three farmers for violating the Animal Welfare Act, public broadcaster NRK reported Wednesday.
The charges were filed in the wake of a documentary about the maltreatment within the pork industry in Norway, which was made and aired by NRK in June 2019.
"I can confirm that Okokrim has started investigations, obtained documentation and conducted interrogations in this case," Maria Bache Dahl, acting district attorney, told NRK.
"Three farmers have been charged with violating the Animal Welfare Act, and Okokrim is cooperating with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority in this matter," she said.
The penalty for violating the Animal Welfare Act, which was adopted by Norway in 2009 and aimed at giving general rules about treatment of animals, includes fines and up to three years in prison, and the loss of right to keep or handle animals.
Torunn Knaevelsrud, head of Section for Animal Welfare and Fish Health at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, told NRK that the authority's findings conformed with what the documentary had shown.
"The film shows clear offenses and attitudes towards animals that are unacceptable, for example that animals that suffer are not taken care of," she said.
Parts of the documentary were filmed using a hidden camera and a hidden microphone over five years, said NRK.
