The prosecutor of Greece’s supreme Court intervened after a First Instance court in Halkida acquitted a 30-year-old man who kicked a cat into the sea in last May.
Prosecutor Isidoros Dogiakos intervened to examine the correctness of the court on the island of Evia.
The court’s reasoning for the acquittal was that the kitten did not suffer any physical harm from being kicked into the sea and than the defendant apologized publicly, daily efsyn reported on Wednesday.
According to the case file and the video one of the defendant’s friends filmed and uploaded online, the young man had lured an unsuspecting cat with a fish to approach him and then kicked it, throwing it into the sea.
Video:
The abuse had caused a social outcry and serious reactions that reached even the highest political level, as well as the public prosecutor’s intervention that led to the prosecution and trial of the 30-year-old. KTG thoroughly reported here.
However, on October 19, the three-member Criminal Court of Chalkida acquitted the perpetrator of the abuse of the kitten. Subsequently, prosecutor Dogiakos requested the decision of the court of Chalkida in order to study whether there was a misinterpretation of the animal protection law.
It should be recalled that torturing an animal is a felony and carries a fine of up to 50,000 euros and a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Also the man’s acquittal triggered an outrage, with journalist Stamatina Stamatakou who first published the story and the video last May to post on Twitter:
Αθώοι κάφροι και με απόφαση της Δικαιοσύνης. Ντροπή. Κλώτσησε άφοβα.
Ο τύπος που κλώτσησε τη γάτα στην #Αιδηψό αθωώθηκε γιατί είπε ότι το έκανε μία φορά, ζήτησε συγγνώμη και υποσχέθηκε ότι δεν θα το ξανακάνει… Τι κι αν το είδαμε με τα μάτια μας, η Ελληνική Δικαιοσύνη είναι τυφλή pic.twitter.com/FILgGbmX0y— Stamatina Stamatakou (@StamatinaSs) October 19, 2022
Innocent thugs and by Court decision. Shame. Kick without fear.
The guy who kicked the cat in #Edipsos was acquitted because he said he did it once, apologized and promised he wouldn’t do it again… No matter what we saw with our own eyes. Greek Justice is blind.
Some media like Mega TV pointed out that justice tends to be less blind when it comes to small communities.
I am not sure what outcome you would expect. It is innocent joke. There is far worse animal abuse in Greece, people leave their animals on streets, malnutritioned and without water…
The fact there is worse animal abuse does not make this any less of a crime. He should be fine heavily to send a message that such behaviour will not be tolerated. How on earth you can use the word “joke” in these circumstances is beyond me.
…but not a peep out of them when a child rapist is turned loose.
priorities much?
Why do some people feel the need to harm defenceless animals, particularly for a laugh and then post it on social media? There is a malaise in society that shows a human arrogance that we can do what we like when we like without feeling or compassion.
Those who assist such acts by using social media are just as culpable as the thug that did it. Apologise to the court, ha, that’s a laugh, play Mr sorry and fool the law..of course he will do it again.
I hope this verdict will be overturned, but I doubt it, you hear about these huge fines and prison but I doubt it actually happens.