A man, identified as Massoud S, faced allegations of sexually assaulting five goats and a six-month-old lamb at an animal sanctuary in Pennes-Mirabeau, near Marseille in France. The accused denied all charges during his trial at Aix-en-Provence courthouse, where it was revealed that he was 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 apprehension during the incident, the defendant maintained his innocence. He tried to justify his presence at the sanctuary by claiming that he missed his train and had no choice but to stay overnight due to the proximity of the sanctuary to the train station.
Cassandra Sortino, the owner of the animal sanctuary, reported that staff grew suspicious after noticing animals with rope marks on their legs, injuries to their vulvas, and traces of blood. Subsequently, CCTV cameras were installed around the animals, leading to the capture of a man’s silhouette multiple times with the alleged abuse being discovered the following day.
Massoud S, a native of Afghanistan who arrived in France in November 2025 following the loss of his family in wartime bombings, cited the traumatic experience as severely affecting his mental health. Despite a psychiatric evaluation revealing his callous attitude towards the animals, he received a 30-month prison sentence, a ban from French territory, and placement on the register of sexual and violent offenders.
Cassandra Sortino expressed ongoing difficulty in processing the incident emotionally, stating, “We can’t explain it morally. We feel like we’ve failed.”