Man receives two-year jail term for killing kitten

TRABZON

In a first ruling on violence against animals in Turkey, a man accused of killing a 3-month-old kitten by “torture” has been sentenced to two years in prison.

The local court in the Black Sea region of Trabzon did not implement any “good conduct time” or “delay” in the punishment.

Local media alleged that Mahmut E., who is 36 years old, is said to be the first person to go to jail for such a crime.

“No one had ever been sentenced for violence against animals before. This will intimidate people a tiny bit,“ said Wngin Barın, a member of the Trabzon Animals Rights Society (TRAHAYKO).

According to local media, E. threw the kitten to the wall while quarreling with his wife at their house on Dec. 7, 2021. The kitten, which was taken for treatment, lost its life after 10 days.

E., who was sued following an official denunciation by TRAHAYKO, rejected the claims in the court, saying, “I was maddened by my wife. Thinking it was a pillow, I kicked something, and it hit the wall.”

Taking his wife’s complaints into consideration, the court gave the highest penalty to the man according to animal rights law.

“We know this decision won’t bring the kitten back, but at least he got a penalty of two years,” said Barın, who followed the court’s hearings for TRAHAYKO. “We hope this ruling will be a disincentive.”

“For us, good days come only at a time when nobody harms anybody,” he added.