The Court in Randers has postponed the trial of eight people accused of illegally feeding horses and cattle at Molslaboratoriet in Mols Bjerge, while it decides whether photographs by a local photographer may be used as evidence.
The court heard arguments on Monday, September 21, over what material the defense may present. According to DR, eight private individuals are charged with breaching the feeding ban on the grazing animals at Molslaboratoriet in Mols Bjerge.
The indictment from Østjyllands Politi covers a total of 27 instances between 2023 and 2025. Defense lawyer Lasse Hummelhof Frandsen, who represents two of the accused, argued that photographs of the animals must be admitted. He said the court needs a full picture of the animals’ condition to judge whether feeding was justified.
The prosecution service at Østjyllands Politi objected to the photographs and to the defense witnesses. Senior prosecutor Laura Simoni Pedersen told the court that the images are superfluous. Per her account, it is not known when or where they were taken, unlike the material gathered by the authorities.
She referred to documentation from Fødevarestyrelsen, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, which has been the supervisory authority for Molslaboratoriet. She also told DR that a person is not necessarily a relevant witness simply for having been present at the events in question.
Photographer linked to the Horse Mafia
Several of the contested images were taken by local photographer Per Øxenholt. By his own account, he has documented the condition of the animals at Molslaboratoriet for years and has declared himself part of the group known as the Horse Mafia, Hestemafiaen.
Frandsen said he was surprised by the objection. As he put it to DR, evidence is normally used to bring out the truth, and objecting to these images amounts to preventing the truth from emerging.
The defense is seeking acquittal on the grounds that the two clients complied with the Danish Animal Welfare Act, Dyrevelfærdsloven. Frandsen argues that the provisions of the Nature Protection Act, Naturbeskyttelsesloven, are subordinate to animal welfare rules. In his view, an animal that is not getting enough feed may be fed.
Molslaboratoriet has kept nature management animals for more than ten years, and the animals were in principle not fed. DR notes that the case has caused heated public debate for years and has led to physical confrontations. Signs at the site prohibit feeding.
The Court in Randers will announce on Monday, September 28, whether the defense may use the photographs and the proposed witnesses. The trial was due to begin on September 21 but has been postponed indefinitely.
