Man Sentenced For Brutal Attack On Kittens At Benidorm Animal Refuge

A proceedings scheduled for November 4 astatine Benidorm’s Criminal Court No. 2 concluded pinch a patient condemnation pursuing an statement betwixt nan defence, prosecution, and backstage prosecution. D.C.G. was recovered blameworthy of animal cruelty and theft pinch unit aft a shocking incident astatine a section animal shelter.

The events day backmost to a July nighttime successful 2023, erstwhile 2 young kittens, Rio and Mini, were sleeping successful what should person been their safest place: a cage wrong a shelter.

This was nary mean refuge. According to its website, nan SCAN (Society for nan Care of Animals successful Need) shelter promises each animal that enters: “Now you are an SCAN animal, you are safe.”

However, that information was violently shattered. On 25 July 2023, astatine 5:20am, nan shelter successful El Verger suffered its 3rd break-in of nan month. Unlike erstwhile intrusions, this 1 was captured connected information cameras. The footage shows nan accused climbing onto nan tile of nan shelter, creating a spread successful nan mesh obstruction to summation access, and approaching nan cage wherever nan kittens were housed.

The tribunal recovered that nan man grabbed Rio, threw him forcefully to nan ground, and stomped connected him, causing nan kitten’s instant death. He past seized Mini by nan cervix connected respective occasions, appearing to strangle nan young cat, earlier leaving nan premises pinch Mini successful his possession. Rio’s assemblage remained successful nan cage, surrounded by a excavation of blood. The onslaught near not only beingness harm to nan shelter, which required repairs, but besides a profound affectional effect connected nan volunteers.

Acknowledgement of facts and agreement

The criminal enactment was recorded by nan shelter’s cameras, and nan suspect confessed to nan crime twice: erstwhile to constabulary and erstwhile successful beforehand of a forensic doctor. In his statements, he claimed that erstwhile angry, he had a “need to break things” arsenic a justification for his behaviour.

The footage went viral successful nationalist media, sparking wide nationalist outrage. Before nan trial, nan accused attempted to trim his ineligible responsibility, arguing that he had consumed psychoactive substances, including cocaine and cannabis, which altered his behaviour. However, nan tribunal did not find grounds capable to trim his culpability.

D.C.G. yet accepted work for his actions and nan associated sentence. Remarkably, he will not service situation clip provided he meets circumstantial conditions complete nan adjacent 3 years.

Suspended condemnation pinch strict conditions

The tribunal suspended nan three-year situation condemnation connected 5 strict conditions:

No further criminal offences.

No ownership of animals aliases information successful animal-related activities.

Completion of mandatory animal use training.

Payment of €1,500 successful civilian damages to SCAN.

A minimum 500-metre region from nan SCAN shelter.

Failure to comply pinch immoderate of these conditions during nan three-year play will consequence successful revocation of nan suspended condemnation and contiguous imprisonment.

Punishment and prevention

Across Europe, sentences for animal cruelty resulting successful decease typically scope astir 5 years, acold exceeding nan maximum penalties successful Spain, which stay little than half that length. This discrepancy intends that superior offenders successful Spain are seldom sent to situation for specified crimes. Under existent Spanish law, imprisonment for animal cruelty resulting successful decease is capped astatine 24 months, making suspension nan default result for astir first-time offenders.

Despite these limitations, this lawsuit demonstrates really nan judicial strategy tin maximise preventive and protective measures wrong nan existing ineligible framework. The tribunal mixed punitive, rehabilitative, and preventive elements: nan offender is punished, required to acquisition re-education, and efficaciously barred from interaction pinch nan shelter, reducing nan likelihood of repetition offences.

Barry Cauldfield, President of SCAN, commented: “The condemnation intends he won’t spell to prison, moreover though nan offences were severe. At slightest justness protects us: he must salary damages, cannot attack nan shelter, must beryllium knowledgeable astir nan seriousness of his actions, and cannot support animals for a play of time. We were not seeking revenge but safeguards to forestall this happening again.”

Eloi Sarrió of Aboganimal, representing nan backstage prosecution, added: “Spain’s Penal Code falls short erstwhile punishing crimes against animals. That said, we person secured a suspended condemnation pinch beardown conditions, and we will show compliance closely. Any breach will lead straight to imprisonment.”

Details of nan sentence

Animal cruelty resulting successful decease (Art. 340 bis.3 CP): 12 months’ prison, 3 years’ prohibition connected owning aliases moving pinch animals, and typical disqualification from passive voting rights.

Theft pinch unit (Arts. 237, 238, 241 CP): 1 year’s prison, 500-metre restraining bid from SCAN for 3 years, €1,500 civilian damages, and typical disqualification from passive voting rights.

Minor animal cruelty (Art. 340 bis.4 CP): 10 days of organization work and a 5-month prohibition connected owning aliases moving pinch animals, pinch typical disqualification from passive voting rights.

This lawsuit highlights nan limitations of existent Spanish rule connected animal cruelty but besides shows really nan courts tin leverage disposable measures to protect victims and forestall recurrence. The suspended sentence, while controversial, represents a clear effort to harvester accountability pinch rehabilitation.