On Wednesday morning, Alberto Groeneveldt appeared before the judge accompanied by his lawyer, Desiree Croes. In court, Alberto Groeneveldt apologized, saying, “I cannot explain how this happened.” However, the prosecutor was more than clear that his dog’s welfare was his responsibility. The prosecutor also indicated that it was abundantly clear that the dog “Khaleesi” had gone through a prolonged period without receiving care and attention.
During the case, Groeneveldt could not explain how the dog ended up in such a condition. He also mentioned that he sought help from the Luna Foundation but “there was no room.” Alberto Groeneveldt attempted to defend himself by stating that he did not see the dog in that state; however, Judge de Kort asked him, “The last time you saw the dog, did you truly fail to see its condition?”
The results of the autopsy showed that the dog was severely malnourished, its head was twice the normal size, and it had significant injuries.
When the judge asked Alberto Groeneveldt how he sees himself in the future, he replied, “I am no longer sure after the hatred and backlash I received. I will have to start from scratch, but I don’t know exactly where.”
In the end, a punishment of 60 hours of community service was requested, of which 20 are conditional (with a probationary period of 2 years). If he fails to complete the 40 hours, he faces 30 days in prison. Additionally, he received a fine of 750 florins. It was taken into account that he is a “first offender.”
The judge agreed with the prosecutor’s demand and immediately issued the sentence, as demanded by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Alberto Groeneveldt now has two weeks to appeal his sentencing.
Lawyer Desiree Croes explained that in such cases, a person could receive a punishment of up to six months in prison. However, both the judge and the prosecutor took the circumstances into account, resulting in a sentence of 60 hours of community service, 20 of which are conditional. Additionally, he received a fine of 750 florins. If Groeneveldt does not comply with the requirements, then he will have to serve a month in prison. The lawyer also mentioned that the dog was tied up for only five days.
Zoe Konijn from the Luna Foundation stated that they accept the punishment imposed by the judge. The amount doesn’t matter, but all that matters is that a punishment was given. If he had been acquitted, it would have been a different story.
Konijn said that what she does not accept is the attempt to attack her foundation. It is not the foundation’s job to rescue every dog that is mistreated. Just because the owner could not take care of his dog, does not make it the foundation’s fault. The foundation operates on a volunteer basis, with a lot of love and time invested in what they do. Luna Foundation does not accept the shifting of blame onto them, it is unacceptable!
Jacqueline Boderie is pleased with the punishment. She entered the courtroom without any expectations. She stated that Groeneveldt does not feel that he did anything wrong, so she is pleased that he was proven wrong today. She went on to say that it was despicable for the lawyer to accuse Luna Foundation in any way.
