Animals
Killed cat named Eros moves Türkiye
Many street cats live in Istanbul. photo
© Emrah Gurel/AP/dpa
A man kicks a cat and ends up killing it. Cameras capture the action. The behavior sparked outrage online.
The punishment is the highest ever imposed under the Animal Protection Act, wrote Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc on the platform X – formerly Twitter.
“Justice for Eros”
The crime was captured on surveillance cameras and caused a nationwide outcry. You can see the now convicted man kicking a cat in an elevator and ultimately killing it. The man said he had psychological and family issues and lost his temper when he encountered the cat in the elevator, according to the DHA.
Videos on social media showed numerous trial observers chanting in the courthouse that the perpetrator was a murderer. The hashtag “Justice for Eros” was trending on Platform X – formerly Twitter. Eros is the name of the cat that was killed. Numerous social media users made threats against the perpetrator. According to the DHA, the defendant said in court that he could no longer go outside the door.
The perpetrator had already been sentenced to one year and three months. Shortly afterwards, the court reduced the sentence to three months for good behavior. The decision was appealed. The verdict can still be appealed.
Violence against animals in Turkey repeatedly makes headlines. Animal rights activists criticize the lax penalties and the lack of enforcement of existing laws against violence against animals.