Student convicted of animal cruelty after ritual slaughter of three sheep

Teenager claimed to be unaware of the law and only discovered his actions were illegal upon arrest

Ritual slaughter of sheep is common in Islam (AFP/Getty Images)

A school student has been convicted of animal cruelty after carrying out the ritual slaughter of three sheep in Austria.

The 18-year-old, who has not been named, says he sacrificed the animals to give thanks for his father recovering from an illness.

The Austrian-Turkish teenager from the southern city of Gratz had contacted local farmers and asked about purchasing sheep that were advertised online.

After agreeing a deal with one, the teen took delivery of the livestock and then sacrificed them according to traditional practice.

“I laid them on the ground and my mother held the legs behind, then I said a quotation from the Koran and closed the sheep's eyes," he said in court.

He cut the throats of the animals on the farm and let them bleed to death before loading them into his car, according to The Local.

Austrian law states that animals can only be slaughtered in licensed slaughterhouses and must be given anaesthesia immediately.

The teenager claimed he was unaware of the law and only discovered his actions were illegal when he was arrested.

He accepted a one-month suspended sentenced, while his mother, who also claimed ignorance, was given 150 hours of community work.

She initially refused to accept the sentence, hoping her husband might be able to pay a fine on her behalf instead. When informed the only alternative was jail, the woman in question agreed to the community service.