Youths film themselves crushing 72 piglets to death in Almería

Two young men are under police investigation for allegedly brutally killing 72 piglets on a farm in the southern Spanish province of Almería.

The suspects, ages 19 and 22, were caught by the Spanish Civil Guard after sharing a video of their attack via the WhatsApp smartphone application. They have been charged with animal abuse.

One worker began diving on the tightly packed piglets, as though at a children’s ball pit

The owner of the breeding farm, which is located in the municipality of Huércal-Overa, was alerted to the video and contacted the authorities.

Both suspects were employees at the pig holding. At the time of the attack, on January 7, they had been tasked with weaning the piglets and transferring them to new living quarters.

Officers at Seprona, the Civil Guard’s nature protection service, said the employees deliberately trapped the animals inside the passageway leading from one unit to the other, thus closing off all escape routes.

One of the workers then began diving on the tightly packed piglets, as though at a children’s ball pit, crushing them with his weight while his associate recorded his actions on his cellphone.

Nineteen of the piglets were killed during the attack, while 53 more were badly injured and died later.

English version by Susana Urra.