A South Korean man was sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the most horrific cases of animal cruelty in the Ginseng Country in recent years.
The man in his 20s was found guilty of violating South Korea’s animal protection law last week, the Changwon District Court in the country’s southeast said, Tuesday (23 April) local time. The court did not identify the man.
According to CNA, the man went on a killing spree of cats between December 2022 and September 2023. His deep hatred for the animals emerged following another cat scratched his car, according to a court ruling seen by The Associated Press.
From that incident, he started catching stray cats and also adopting them from the site online before strangling some of the cats to death and killing some with scissors, the court ruled. He is also known to have killed a cat by running it over with a car.
The court ruled that a prison sentence was unavoidable because the perpetrator had repeatedly committed ‘extremely violent’ crimes in a premeditated manner.
The court emphasized that the sentence also still reflected the fact that the man had no criminal record and was remorseful for his crimes.
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The man has appealed the court’s ruling.
The world’s largest animal protection organization also commented on the Changwon District Court’s decision, which it called a step forward.
“The verdict reflects South Korean society’s growing concern for animal welfare and intolerance for senseless cruelty like this,” said Humane Society International’s Director in South Korea, Borami Seo. (B-3)
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