Youths confess to baby boar torture

Police questioning of a total of seven juvenile offenders revealed that two baby boars were killed and another two tortured.

The youths are likely to have lured, beaten, strangled and buried the animals out of boredom. Only the two 14 year-olds are at the age of criminal responsibility.

"We felt such happiness," the youths testified during the police interrogation.

"The seven boys confessed to killing two young boars and torturing two more with the intent to kill," a police spokesman told ORF. "However, these two animals escaped."

The youths bought bread from the supermarket, which they used to lure the animals. They then threw stones at the young boars and tortured them with sticks. One boar was buried, the other strangled.

Police have reported the under 14 year-olds to the Youth Welfare Office. According to ORF, there could be legal repercussions for the two older suspects. The case lies with the Vienna Prosecutor's Office, which must decide whether to press charges of animal cruelty.