A man from Leuven faced his day in court yesterday after he was accused on penetrating a horse with his hand on the Laduezeplein in the Flemish Brabantine capital. The incident allegedly happened during the filming of a TV series.
An HBO series was being recorded in Leuven in June 2021. Horses were on the filmset. The defendant petted the animals and according to the charge sheet then proceeded to penetrate the vulva of one of the animals using his hand. The vulva consists of the external genitals of the mare.
A witness was so surprised he took photos of the incident. The police were alerted and when they arrived, they found the man sitting on a bench. He laughed off their concerns.
“We regularly see animal abuse” said the judge “but this is quite exceptional!”
The defendant denied all wrongdoing. “My client simply petted the animals” his lawyer told the court. “The owner didn’t like it and sent him packing”.
But the prosecutor was having none of it and brandished a photo of the incident in which the abuse was clearly documented.
The defendant is known to have alcohol-related issues. Prosecutors are seeking a 3-month custodial sentence and a 600-euro fine. The verdict is expected within the month.