Activist who stole animals says she had to move house due to threats from farmers
Animal protester Cara Garrett, who was fined $1 for breaking biosecurity laws after stealing animals from a goat farm, claims she “couldn’t cope” after her arrest and she now suffers daily panic attacks and lives in fear after death threats.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A vegan animal activist who was fined $1 for breaking biosecurity laws after stealing animals from a Gippsland goat farm claims she received death and rape threats while waiting for her court date.
In a submission to the state animal activism parliamentary inquiry, protester Cara Garrett, 24, revealed she had to install CCTV cameras at home and eventually moved because of the backlash from farmers.
In the 10-page submission, she claimed being arrested was distressing and also accused Victoria Police of breaching her privacy by letting a farmer on to her property while she was being detained.
“The police arrested me and put me in the back of a police car to take me to the police station,” she said. “I was uncomfortable knowing at least four police officers remained at my home while I was being taken away,” she said.
“I was extremely distressed as I didn’t know what would happen to the animals in my care and all my personal belongings. They would go through without me there,” she wrote.
The activist said she became the target of death and rape threats from the agricultural community after she and a group of activists stormed the Gippy Goat Cafe at Yarragon and stole three goats and a lamb in December 2018.
After appearing in a Victorian magistrate’s court earlier this year, Ms Garrett was fined $1 for breaching biosecurity, a penalty described as “measly” by Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke.
Despite being defiant after the verdict, Ms Garrett now says the trespassing incident has taken a serious toll on her life. She said her own and her parents’ address was shared on social media and she received constant threats and messages from people telling her they knew what she had eaten for dinner.
“I had multiple people send me snapshots from their phone screens, with their location to mine, letting me know they would soon be at mine to kill me. I had daily panic attacks, I didn’t feel safe anywhere.
RELATED:
ACTIVISTS AN ‘IMMENSE’ BIOSECURITY THREAT
ACTIVISTS THREATEN TO KEEP INVADING FARMS
COALITION TO CRACK DOWN ON ANIMAL ACTIVISTS
“I couldn’t sleep, I had to take a lot of time off work, install CCTV cameras, have people over to stay with me when I couldn’t cope,” she said.
The submission was among 488 received by the panel, with public hearings kicking off in Bairnsdale this week. Ms Garrett declined an invitation to appear before the committee.
The Herald Sun revealed last week that dozens of farmers had written to the panel, warning activists could contaminate produce and were putting their livestock and livelihoods at risk.