South Korean Man Sentenced for Killing 76 Cats
A South Korean man in his 20s has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country’s most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.
Cruel Acts and Conviction
The man was convicted of violating South Korea’s animal protection law by the Changwon District Court in southeastern South Korea. He went on a cat-killing spree between December 2022 and September 2023 due to a deep hatred of the animal that he began harboring after other cats scratched his car.
Details of the Crimes
The man caught stray cats and adopted others from online sites before strangling some to death and killing others with scissors. He even ran over one cat with a car.
Court Verdict and Sentence
The court ruled that the prison sentence was unavoidable due to the man’s repeated “indescribably cruel” crimes committed in a premeditated manner.
Impact on Animal Welfare
The sentence reflects Korean society’s increasing concern for animal welfare and intolerance for senseless cruelty. Borami Seo, a director of the South Korea office of the Humane Society International, emphasized the importance of passing the Civil Act amendment to legally recognize animals as living beings and strengthen their protection in law.
