SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean man was sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the most shocking animal cruelty cases in the country in recent years.
The man, who is 20 years old, was convicted last week of violating South Korea’s animal protection law, the Changwon district court in the southeast of the country said on Tuesday. The court did not identify the man.
The inmate dedicated himself to killing cats between December 2022 and September 2023 due to a deep dislike for the animal that began when other cats scratched his car, according to a court verdict seen by The Associated Press.
Some cats were stray animals he trapped, while others he adopted through websites before strangling them or killing them with scissors, according to the ruling. He killed one of the cats by running over it with a car, the court noted.
The court concluded that the prison sentence was inevitable because he had committed “indescribably cruel” crimes repeatedly and premeditated.
The court emphasized that in any case, the sentence reflected the absence of a criminal record and that the defendant repented for his crimes, and noted that it had been concluded that his mental health situation, which was not specified, was a reason for the crimes.
The man appealed the verdict.
“The sentence reflects Korean society’s growing concern about animal welfare and intolerance for senseless cruelty like this,” said Borami Seo, director of Humane Society International’s South Korean office.
“This cruelty also emphasizes the importance of passing an amendment to the Civil Code that legally recognizes animals as living beings and strengthens their protection in law,” Seo added.
