A 64-year-old experienced hunter from the Gironde department in France has been handed a three-month suspended prison sentence after a court found him guilty. He has also been permanently stripped of his hunting license. This decision came after a hunting incident where he unintentionally shot a Dutch man in the shoulder while hunting wild boars near a highway close to a forest.
The incident occurred three years ago, but it has taken this long for the case to make its way to court. The victims were a Dutch couple who were en route to Spain. They were caught off guard when the rear window of their Peugeot 107 was suddenly shattered on the A63 near Saugnac-et-Muret. The male passenger quickly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, and it was soon established that he had been hit by a bullet, according to the reports from French media.
“He was extremely fortunate,” the presiding judge declared. The bullet had entered the body of the then 61-year-old Dutchman just a few centimeters beside the spine. “Miraculously, no vital organ was hit,” he added.
The police investigation swiftly identified a group of hunters who were hunting wild boars in the vicinity at the same time. A ballistics examination indicated that the bullet was fired from the rifle of the 64-year-old Frenchman, who was an experienced hunter.
Despite denying any carelessness or failure to adhere to hunting regulations, he was summoned to court. Even though his lawyer argued that the evidence was insufficient, the hunter was still convicted.
In addition to the three-month suspended prison sentence, the hunter also had his hunting license permanently revoked as part of the court’s decision.
Hunting is a popular activity in France, with over a million people holding a hunting license. However, it is not without its risks. In 2022 alone, eight people lost their lives while hunting in France.