A man accused of sexually assaulting six animals, resulting in the death of one, declared his innocence in court, claiming to be a regular individual.
The 19-year-old, identified as Massoud S, allegedly engaged in acts of bestiality with five goats and a six-month-old lamb at an animal sanctuary near Marseille, France.
During the trial at Aix-en-Provence courthouse, the accused refuted the accusations despite being apprehended by the police in a compromising situation with a goat at Le Refuge d’un Moment animal sanctuary.
Despite the presence of DNA evidence and his arrest during the incident, the defendant maintained his innocence.
In his defense, he claimed that he missed his train back to Marseille, leading him to spend the night at the sanctuary due to its proximity to the station.
The sanctuary’s owner, Cassandra Sortino, reported that staff became suspicious after finding animals with injuries, rope marks, and signs of abuse, prompting the installation of CCTV cameras that captured a man’s silhouette multiple times before the alleged abuse was discovered.
Originally from Afghanistan, Massoud S claimed he arrived in France in November 2025 following the loss of his family in wartime bombings, citing severe mental health repercussions from the experience.
During a psychiatric evaluation while in detention, he reportedly minimized the incident, stating, “They’re making a huge fuss about it when they’re just animals.”
The teenager was sentenced to 30 months in prison, prohibited from returning to French territory, and added to the sexual and violent offenders register.
Sanctuary owner Cassandra Sortino expressed ongoing struggle and disbelief over the incident, stating, “We can’t explain it morally; we feel like we’ve failed.”
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