12 referred to prosecutors over horse abuse in Japan shrine ritual

Twelve people were referred to prosecutors on Tuesday on suspicion of abusing horses to make them ascend a steep hill during a traditional ritual at a shrine in central Japan last year, police said.The 12 allegedly violated the animal protection law in May 2023 during the two-day Ageuma Shinji ritual, held at Tado Taisha shrine located in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture.An investigation was launched after some animal welfare organizations filed a criminal complaint in October. Among those named in the complaint was the representative of the parishioner body that hosts the ritual.The police did not d…READ FULL ARTICLE