Kittens thrown from the top of a bridge by a teenager: the need to raise awareness of animal suffering among young people
Pont de Bruéjouls, Aveyron, Sunday 7 April 2024. A 16-year-old teenager, filmed by his girlfriend according to our source, threw newborn kittens from the top of a bridge, directly into a river. For the kittens, who will not have survived, and to ensure that the link between violence on human and animal victims is recognised, we are filing a complaint against the perpetrator but also his girlfriend who filmed the scene without intervening. We are also strongly urging our institutions to take action on the responsibility of adults and society as a whole to educate young people about empathy towards animals.
Indifferent to these newborns’ distress cries looking for their mother and certainly hungry, the boy, all smiles in front of the camera, did not hesitate for a second in engaging in these acts of unspeakable cruelty.
How can a minor commit such acts without batting an eyelid
Not to mention the education provided by his parents and the school system, it is society as a whole and its way of considering individuals of other species that must be called into question. It normalises violence towards and the torture of living beings in front of often very young children, by specifically authorising them to be present during hunting parties, by inciting them to torture bulls in bull fighting schools, by allowing them to witness killings preceded by barbaric acts during bull fights, by perpetuating ‘traditions’ that normalise the exploitation and slaughter of animals for entertainment purposes, or by making demeaning shows in circuses and dolphinariums “fun”. All of this instead of dedicating a few hours of lessons in schools to raising awareness of pet animals in particular, but all animals in general…
One and the same violence
The teenager went to the police station himself, undoubtedly overwhelmed by the scale of the situation. This does not take anything away from the serious nature of his actions, but it is a good thing nonetheless. Harassing him online will in no way resolve the situation and this is why we are calling on everyone to moderate their comments and not to engage in a ‘manhunt’. The same thing goes for the person that was filming.
We are filing a complaint so that these individuals will be tried and will have to respond for their actions. So that this violence that is within them does not happen again in the future and so that justice prevails over cruelty.
Studies have shown this: if violence towards animals is not taken seriously, violence on humans will continue; a multitude of countries are aware of this. But once again, France is lagging behind, who should have dealt with this issue during the debates on the 30 November 2021 law. This was not the case.
Neutering is the only solution to put an end to cats’ misery
We also spare a thought for the cat who had to desperately look for her kittens for several days, and for all of the kittens killed by reckless idiots who refuse to have a simple surgical operation carried out: neutering. A horror story that could be avoided so easily… In the past, it was commonplace in France to kill kittens, stray or otherwise. We can only celebrate the fact that this is less and less the case, but this must be accompanied by the necessary measures, both to protect biodiversity and to prevent cats from living without shelter. We are continuing to progress in this area. For the millions of stray cats subjected every day to hunger, bad weather, illness, and the infernal cycle of repeated litters, we are asking for obligatory neutering, as is already the case in Spain and Belgium.
Along with us, demand sanctions commensurate with the acts of abuse committed, and insist on an urgent plan for stray cats.