Labs in 'monkey abuse' storm
Animal rights group SPEAK is offering a £2,000 reward for information on alleged animal cruelty at the University after Thames Valley Police revealed it has investigated an employee regarding abuse of a monkey.
A Home Office inspector was reportedly contacted after a vet was refused permission to kill a monkey who was in pain after an experiment because the animal was an 'asset'.
SPEAK spokesperson Robert Cogswell said the organisation decided to take action because of "obstruction" from the police. He told The Oxford Student: "Up to now the Thames Valley Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) don't seem to have acted responsibly."
SPEAK, the organisation leading the campaign against a proposed University science laboratory on South Parks Road, published the offer on its website. It was prompted by report in The Times on the alleged incident of animal cruelty within the University, which was investigated by the police.
Cogswell cited inaction after two alleged assaults on animal rights campaigners as evidence for police partiality.
"We don't have a lot of faith in Thames Valley Police or the CPS and have offered a financial inducement because the police have refused to hand over the report into the investigation."
Cogswell denied accusations that this has been a cynical publicity stunt after nine members of the organisation were given court injunctions last week.
He assured The Oxford Student: "This is done in all seriousness. If laws were broken, whoever broke those laws needs to be brought to justice."
Oxford University has reacted swiftly to this latest twist in the animal rights saga. A spokesperson told The Oxford Student: "Thames Valley Police has notified the University that it is not pursuing the matter further. We are therefore concerned to see the latest article on the SPEAK website."
The University has assured the public: "Animal welfare is of primary concern to us. We have rigorous procedures in place to ensure that we fulfil our responsibilities under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act and have every confidence that our internal control mechanisms are robust and effective."
The incident has occurred amid allegations that university scientists working with animals are not sufficiently protected.
The Royal Society has said that university researchers have been left out of the government's latest assessment of the threat of animal rights extremists.
18th Nov 2004