A South African animal welfare worker claims he was brutally assaulted and threatened with death while filming what he called “abuse of donkeys on Santorini.”
According to a report by Network for Animals, Luke Barritt, a campaigner for the international charity was spotted filming “donkey abuse by donkey owners.”
“These men exploit donkeys by making them repeatedly climb a 1000-foot cliff in baking sun with no food, shade or water,” said the Network for Animals.
A group of ten then allegedly attacked Barritt and Polish cameraman Wiktor Dobraczynski, who was trying to film the "abuse".
“The enraged donkey owners kicked and struck Barritt, driving him to the cliff edge while threatening to throw him over. Dobrazczynski rescued him but was also attacked in the process,” added the activists.
“The sheer venom of the donkey owners stunned me. They were kicking me and beating me with the same whips they used on the donkeys. It was a truly frightening experience,” said Barrit, who claims he reported the matter to local police who promised to take action but did not do so.
“The worst thing about this is that I escaped, but there’s no escape for the donkeys,” he said. “They are forced to climb that cliff in baking sun from sunrise to sundown with no food or water in case they soil the cliff path. This cruelty is horrifying.”
According to Network for Animals, the promised improvements for the animals by the local government has not been made. “It’s an utter disgrace and I urge tourists who plan to visit Santorini, to think again until this cruelty stops," said Barritt.
