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Michalis Katsimpoulas had the honor of participating as a speaker in the two-day conference “Protecting Animals, Protecting People”, held in Athens and Thessaloniki, organized on the initiative of the Ministry of Citizen Protection, the Hellenic Police Headquarters, and the organization Zero Stray Pawject (ZSP).
The aim of the conference was to train officers of the Hellenic Police and Municipal Police in the proper handling of animal abuse cases and to highlight their role as frontline defenders of public safety.
Through an interactive program, participating officers were invited to assume the role of investigators: they analyzed hypothetical cases of animal abuse, identified evidence, and experienced first-hand how animal protection is directly linked to human protection.
The conference clearly demonstrated that animal abuse is not merely an animal welfare issue — it is an indicator of deeper social pathology. Prevention and education remain our most powerful tools for building a society based on safety, humanity, and respect.
A particularly important contribution to the conference was made by Jessica K. Rock, State Prosecutor and Animal Abuse Prosecutor with the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (USA), as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. She trains state and federal law enforcement authorities in the United States on issues related to animal abuse and its connection to violence against people. She presented compelling evidence and emphasized that animal abuse is often an early indicator of violent behavior, explaining that animals are frequently used as tools of control and coercion in cases of domestic violence or organized crime. She also highlighted the critical importance of interdisciplinary cooperation among police officers, prosecutors, veterinarians, and social workers for the effective investigation of such cases.
The conference featured speakers from Greece, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Opening addresses were delivered by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Citizen Protection, Mr. Panagiotis Stathis, and the Chief of the Hellenic Police, Lieutenant General Dimitrios Mallios. The Special Secretary of the Ministry of Interior for Animal Protection, Mr. Nikolaos Chrysakis, was also an invited speaker.