In medieval Europe, animals were not considered exempt from the law. If an animal committed a crime, particularly one resulting in the death of a human, it could be arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to a full formal judicial trial. One of the most infamous instances took place in Falaise, Normandy, in 1386.
A three-month-old infant was severely mauled by a local pig while left unattended. The pig was promptly arrested and held in the town jail alongside human prisoners. The legal proceedings were surprisingly rigorous and costly.
A formal trial was convened before the local magistrate, featuring legal representation, witnesses, and an official prosecutor. The court found the pig guilty of murder. To ensure proper symbolic retributive justice, the court ordered that the sow be subjected to public execution by hanging.
Before the executioner carried out the sentence, the pig was dressed in human clothes—specifically a waistcoat, gloves, and drawers—to signify that it was being punished under the same legal standards as a human citizen. The entire village, along with local farmers who were ordered to bring their own swine to witness the deterrent, gathered in the town square. The local community even commissioned a fresco in the Church of Holy Trinity in Falaise to commemorate the event, serving as a solemn warning of judicial authority.