A Dutch man is facing a €30,000 fine after killing a stray cat in Greece last weekend.
The incident occurred last Saturday in a small suburb of Athens where the man has lived for several years.
The man found a stray cat in his backyard. However, instead of embracing doe normaal, he made another choice: to take a crowbar and whack the cat on the head multiple times.
The cat died in the backyard. The man then placed the mutilated body of the cat in a blue bag and threw it out down the street, reports the AD.
Witness to the crime
The senseless killing was watched by a horrified neighbour who took quick action, calling the police.
The police arrived at the man’s address, where the Dutchman acted aggressively and opposed his arrest.
The police found the weapon covered with blood and cat hair. Eventually, the man confessed to his crime.
An expensive mistake
Stray cats, in particular, are often the target of animal abusers in Greece. Greece is cracking down on animal abuse (and rightly so).
With a horrendous record of disregarding animal rights, including a man in Crete hanging a dog by his hind legs in 2020, the Greek government is trying to force change.
The Dutchman’s €30,000 fine is one example of this. If he cannot pay the fine, he may be thinking about his mistake from inside a Greek prison cell.
Penalties in Greece have been increasing over the past several years. They now include fines of thousands of euros or even prison time of up to ten years.
Want the latest Dutch news to come zooming through the internet to your inbox? Dat kan! Subscribe to DutchReview’s weekly roundup 📮