The criminal investigation into the abandonment of two kittens on 9 August — left in a plastic bag inside a dumpster near San Marino’s State Hospital — has been closed without identifying a culprit. One of the kittens died despite receiving care, while the surviving female kitten has since been adopted.
The Secretariat of State for Territory and Environment has weighed in on the outcome, expressing “deep regret and real concern” and pledging to examine further measures to prevent future abandonments and identify those responsible.
“While fully respecting the assessments and decisions of the Judicial Authority, the Secretariat notes with bitterness that it was not possible to identify the person responsible for an act of such gravity: a cruel act against defenceless creatures, which rightly sparked outrage within the San Marino community,” the statement reads.
The Secretariat expressed solidarity with the San Marino Animal Protection Association (APAS) and the volunteers who stepped in to save the kittens, and thanked the resident who took in the surviving kitten.
APAS’s observations are also serving as a starting point for evaluating new monitoring tools. “The points raised by APAS deserve the utmost attention,” the Secretariat states.
“For this reason, the Secretariat is committed to working with the relevant Secretariats of State, the police and other competent bodies to explore the most suitable solutions for reinforcing surveillance at waste collection points and other sensitive areas across the territory — from expanding video surveillance to deploying even more effective monitoring tools, in compliance with data protection regulations.”
These solutions are still to be developed in detail, with a twofold aim: preventing further incidents and making it possible to identify those responsible. “Laws protecting animals must be backed by concrete tools in order to be fully enforced,” the Secretariat emphasises.
Finally, citizens are urged to promptly report any case of animal abuse or abandonment to the relevant authorities.
