Last Updated: Friday, July 30, 2010 10:00 AM
Video Stories
PETA wants criminal charges filed in SeaWorld attack

Tilikum, the whale
Last Updated: Friday, July 30, 2010 10:00 AM
Video Stories
i-Poll
Should charges be filed against SeaWorld for the death of a trainer?
PETA wants SeaWorld held criminally responsible for the death of Dawn Brancheau.
Since then, PETA has launched numerous attacks at SeaWorld and their policies.
They have protested outside the theme park and now they are taking things a step further.
PETA officials said the attack on Brancheau should be considered involuntary manslaughter.
"We think that is important for the attorney general to step in, investigate and prosecute this case because otherwise it is only a matter of time before another death or serious injury occurs," said Jeff Kerr, PETA’s attorney.
PETA's case is laid out in a massive letter to Attorney General Bill McCollum.
The animal rights group said because SeaWorld officials knew killer whales were dangerous and the whale responsible for Brancheau’s death was particularly dangerous, SeaWorld -- by allowing employees to interact with the animals -- was criminally negligent.
"Working in a dangerous job should not mean that you are exposed on a daily basis to being killed," Kerr said.
SeaWorld officials completely disagree, saying, "The allegations made by PETA today are as baseless … In our experience, both OCSO and the State Attorney conduct their work thoroughly and professionally. PETA's letter appears to be another example of an organization more interested in media attention than assisting animals in need."
However, PETA's claims go farther than just SeaWorld. In the letter, they also accuse the Orange County Sheriff’s Office of not doing their job, saying detectives didn't fully pursue the case out of fear of SeaWorld financial power.
"We think that it is quite clear that this a case of putting profit over safety," Kerr said.
PETA officials said they are simply making a civil complaint, but have not ruled out the possibility of legal action.
Related Stories
Comments
POSTING PROCESS: Comments will appear on the page within 10 minutes of a submission. There is a 400 character limitation to each post and comments will be held to this restriction. If you see a post you feel violates the posting policy please click on Report this post for a staff member to review.
POSTING POLICY: Vulgar, obscene, and offensive language will not be tolerated. Anyone who uses such language in their post will not be allowed to participate in future comments. While we value freedom of speech, we also wish to protect our visitors from exposure to inflammatory content. Thank you.
COMMENTS BY USERS ARE NOT ENDORSED BY SERVICE PROVIDER: You can access the User Agreement at any time. Your use of and/or registration on any aspect of the Service will constitute your agreement to comply with these rules.













Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our Feeds