“THE PALIO OF SIENA: A SICK LOVE” – WALTER CAPORALE DEFENDS ANIMALS’ RIGHTS IN COURT

Lanciano (CH), June 24, 2024 – The hearing was held today at the Court of Lanciano defamation trial against Walter Caporale, President of the Italian Animalists, accused by the Municipality of Siena of having compared the people of Siena and the Contrada people to murderers, rapists and pedophiles. Caporale, during the radio broadcast, La zanzara, broadcast on Radio 24, had expressed strong criticism towards the Palio di Siena and all those who exploit horses and participate in such events, defining their love for horses as unhealthy, like the sick relationship between victim and executioner.

Caporale’s defense, represented bylawyer Pantanella – following the testimony of Morelli, Vice President of the Consortium for the Protection of the Palio di Siena who reiterated the love of the Sienese for horses – highlighted that this type of love for horses puts the very lives of the animals at risk in the name of a sporting event during which, on average, one horse dies or is injured every year. Following this she was asked by the lawyer. Pantanella an extremely provocative question, which was not admitted by the Judge, with the following tenor: “If the Palio were a race for children, would you send your children there?”.
The trial saw the tragic episodes of horses dying during the Palio emerge, such as the horse Raoland the terrible accident that caused a very serious injury to the horse Enough of the Contrada della Giraffa, who broke his right front. The defense also recalled the conviction confirmed in the Court of Cassation of a jockey, Luigi Bruschelli known as Trecciolino for mistreatment of animals, underlining the ethical problems linked to such competitions. The jockey had drugged the horses.
The next hearing in the trial against Walter Caporale has been scheduled for February 28th at 12.30pm at the Court of Lanciano. Testimonies are awaited from the Mayor of the Municipality of Siena, Luigi De Mossi and from the radio host Giuseppe Cruciani, during whose broadcast “La Zanzara” Caporale’s words were allegedly manipulated and misrepresented. The President of the Italian Animalists clarified that his reference was generalized to all those who use animals for recreational purposes, stating that their love is wrong, sick like that of a rapist for a woman or a pedophile for a child.
From 1970 to today, 51 horses have died during the Palio di Siena. 119 horses were admitted to the 2023 Protocol Horse Register, but it is impossible to provide data on all the horses tested during the year and, because they were not deemed up to par, discarded and not presented to the commission.
Walter Caporale and his supporters continue to reiterate that not all Sienese love the Palio and that Siena can attract tourists thanks to its beauty and cultural heritagewithout having to resort to such manifestations.

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