A rural organisation has called on the RSPCA to end the "continuing anomaly" of privatised criminal prosecution of animal welfare legislation.
The Countryside Alliance said it wishes to see sentencing under the Animal Welfare Act by the Crown Prosecution, and an end to privatised prosecutions by the RSPCA.
It comes as news that Defra Michael Gove announces plans to bring forward legislation to increase the maximum sentence for serious acts of animal abuse from six months to five years.
He argued that the number of cases that might attract such a sentence are small, but there are some where abuse is so sustained and appalling that a longer sentence would undoubtedly be justified.
Last year the EFRA Committee reported on animal welfare legislation and came up with recommendations on the prosecution of welfare offences.
It said the RSPCA does important work on investigations, but that it is not in a better position than the Crown Prosecution Service when it comes to prosecuting animal welfare cases.
Its Chairman, Neil Parish, said: “[The RSPCA] should step back from making prosecutions itself, continuing instead to work closely with the police and prosecution service to protect the welfare of animals.”
'Regrettable'
Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, said it is "regrettable" that the RSPCA council has refused to accept the recommendation of the cross-party EFRA Committee.
Mr Bonner said: “Instead its council indulged in another orgy of internal bloodletting and sacked its Chief Executive, Jeremy Cooper, for daring to apologise for the way it had carried out some prosecutions in the past.
“We fully support the extension of sentences to 5 years for the worst cases of animal abuse. With increased sentencing must, however, come the normalisation of prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act and an end to privatised prosecutions by the RSPCA.
“Such cases are too serious to be dealt with by a private prosecutor which is also involved in investigating the offence."
