On September 15th, One Voice will be a plaintiff in the trial of the tortured cat Chevelu in Draguignan, kicked to death last May. After a summer marked by an upsurge in acts of cruelty on dogs and cats, the association is calling for exemplary punishment for this man. A man whose past is marked by recurrent acts of violence and already condemned for allowing his dog to die.
Investigation
The story of Chevelu the cat moved many in France, sparking social network interest within a few weeks. The cat was found dead, its skull fractured, after visibly undergoing acts of extreme cruelty. Thanks to a thorough investigation by the gendarmerie, which made every effort to identify the culprit (s), including DNA analyses of the victim's hair, which quickly implicated the defendant Mr. M in the death of the cat. His testimony, as well as that of his companion, which made it all more possible to assess the violence experienced by Chevelu.
Facts
That evening, in the centre of Draguignan, Mr. M. came down from his apartment where he lives with his partner, Mrs. C. He saw Chevelu on his scooter and that was enough to make him fly into a rage of anger. He knew Chevelu, a homeless cat, who was known by a neighbourhood association. He had fed him on a regularly basis. So, when the cat came down from the bike, the man pretended to feed him. Chevelu, confident, approached. Mr. M. then he gave the cat his first kick. He wore safety shoes, with a reinforced toe. Chevelu flew into the wall. But that was apparently not enough for Mr. M who caught the cat again for a second kick, throwing it back against the wall. After a third kick, the cat collapsed, its head bleeding. So Mr. M. got rid of his shoes, he threw them into a rubbish bin and went to bed ... With his girlfriend, they then concocted their story to make sure that a group of young people in the neighbourhood were made the suspects.
Note: According to Dr. Peter Gallego, veterinarian and consultant for One Voice, the conclusions of the autopsy report were as follows "think of an action whereupon an exerting centrifugal force is applied to the head, probably by holding the cat by the tail or the hind legs and then swinging its head against the wall. "
The suspect
Mr. M. was not unknown to the authorities. His criminal record is already well provided in convictions for violence, not only towards animals but also humans with the threat of a weapon. In particular, he allowed his dog to starve in his apartment. Mrs. C. will admit in her testimony to be afraid of him because "he breaks things". Yet, or because of that, she protected him ... Their child, barely 7 months old, has been placed into care.
The link between violence
This case is just another dramatic illustration of the link between violence against animals and humans. The blows fall on to the victims regardless of the species. Many countries have already understood this, especially with regard to the fight against domestic violence, where the penalties and accompanying measures apply to the victims, spouses and abused children as domestic animals (United States, United Kingdom ...).
Arielle Moreau, lawyer for One Voice, explains:
"Chevelu was a very vulnerable little being. He had no chance of escaping his executioner. He fell into a trap. After having put his trust into this man, his torturer kicked his skull with his shoes, which he used as a weapon, before getting rid of them in an attempt to escape prosecution. If Chevelu had been a human, his murderer would have been sentenced to life. But he is a cat, and today the maximum penalty is only two years, which is ridiculous."
Muriel Arnal, president of One Voice says:
"Getting an exemplary sentence for Chevelu goes beyond just giving him justice. Mr. M. is a repeat offender. Similar cases are numerous enough not to discount the probability that he will start again if his evil act is not condemned as he should be. And who will be his next victim? His partner is scared for herself, but also for her cats and her daughter. For One Voice, violence must be condemned for what it is. Mr. M. is a dangerous man. He must be put out of harm's way, to protect everyone."
