Ritual kill fear over sheep slaughter
Co Derry farm targeted over 14-year period
By Brendan McDaid
[email protected]
12 April 2005
The USPCA today said it was not ruling out a possible ritualistic-style motive for the deaths and mutilation of over 330 sheep on a Co Londonderry farm over the past 14 years.
Farmer Gerald McLaughlin from Feeney today called for a major investigation to be launched, as USPCA experts were studying pictures of living and dead animals with their tongues cut out.
Police also confirmed today that Mr McLaughlin had been making complaints for over ten years but said post-mortem examinations had not helped them establish a cause of death.
Mr McLaughlin said he was dismayed following the latest incident in which a number of lambs and ewes were found with their tongues sliced off.
The most recent attacks are believed to have happened at the weekend.
However, hundreds of similar gruesome incidents have been ongoing since 1990.
Many of the animals were also found to have had their eyes plucked out.
Mr McLaughlin said today: "I want to see more action from police.
"It's been 14 years and the police are still handling the case. They say they cannot point the finger at whoever did it - they say their hands are tied.
"The tongues were completely and cleanly cut out. A knife would have been used so this could only have been committed by a human."
His wife Bridget added that both she and the couple's children have been reduced to tears as a result of the ongoing incidents.
The family have been recording a list of the most recent events.
Asked if ritualistic slaughter was a possible motive, a spokesman for the USPCA said: "This is a bizarre case and we are looking at all lines of inquiry.
"This has been going on for a long time and an investigation has been ongoing. We are appealing for anyone with information to come forward."
The high number of sheep deaths was today described by police as "unusual".
Mr McLaughlin, however, has disputed claims by police that many of the animals appear to have died before they were mutilated.
He has also handed over photographic evidence to USPCA officers.
In a statement a PSNI spokesman said: "Police have been investigating the reports and have arranged for post-mortem examinations to be carried out by Department of Agriculture vets.
"The USPCA have also been consulted.
"None of these examinations has been able to establish the cause of death of the sheep - mainly lambs, but also some full grown ewes.
"The tongues appear to have been removed after death has occurred.
"The examinations and other police inquiries have so far failed to establish if any crime has taken place."