ROME—Alerting authorities anonymously plays a critical role in exposing and preventing crimes against animals and the environment. This was the key message that emerged during the event “Whistleblowing and Animal Protection”, held on May 6 in Rome at the offices of the law firm Eversheds Sutherland. The initiative was promoted by Humane World for Animals Italy and Fondazione Cave Canem.
Reporting by whistleblowers of violations of EU law or of offenses punishable under the Italian legal system—particularly in the areas of environmental protection and animal health and welfare—and the protection of these individuals, are crucial to safeguarding the public interest in preventing and prosecuting such acts.
In Italy, whistleblowers are protected under Legislative Decree 24/2023, which implements Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law. The decree also includes provisions for protecting individuals who report violations of national laws, including crimes against animals.
The Italian Penal Code punishes anyone who kills or mistreats an animal “out of cruelty or without necessity,” anyone who organizes or promotes animal fights, anyone who abandons domestic animals, and anyone who kills, captures, or keeps specimens belonging to a protected wild animal species.
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