"Difficult to Find Any Respect for Life"
A man in his twenties who brutally killed more than 20 cats he had adopted under the pretense of relieving stress has been sentenced to prison.
On April 24, the Ulsan District Court Criminal Division 5 Single Judge (Chief Judge Cho Kukin) announced that it had sentenced Mr. A to one year and six months in prison for violating the Animal Protection Act.
In June 2023, Mr. A received a kitten for free in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, put it in his car, and killed it while driving on the highway to Ulsan, then threw the body out of the car.
He was also indicted on charges of receiving 21 kittens for free over a two-month period through an online community related to stray cats, then abusing, brutally killing, and abandoning their bodies.
Mr. A's crimes came to light when the people who had given him the cats contacted him to ask about their condition. Mr. A evaded their questions and eventually stopped responding altogether, prompting them to report him to the police.
It was revealed that Mr. A had harbored resentment toward stray cats due to experiences such as being disturbed by their noises and having to clean up their feces at his office. Investigations found that, in this state, he committed these crimes while under stress from breaking up with his girlfriend and failing in real estate investments.
The court stated, "The crimes were committed repeatedly and with premeditation, and the methods were extremely cruel, making it difficult to find any respect for life. It also appears that the people who donated or gave away the cats suffered significant emotional distress," explaining the reason for the prison sentence.
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