Police in the Greek city of Volos on Wednesday arrested a 31-year-old male linked to video images showing him killing strays, a shocking animal abuse case that has riled local residents and generated heightened media attention.
The suspect was arrested at his residence in the coastal port city and charged with deliberately stabbing a cat on a sidewalk among other incidents including the death of a stray dog.
The man now faces a 100,000-euro fine and court.
One irony in the case is that footage shows a man attacking a stray animal on Monday evening in the city while a well-attended event was being held only a street away to identify the “serial” animal abuser in their midst.
The perpetrator in the video footage has most of his facial characteristics concealed by a hoodie and a cap.
Five citizens in Volos have filed complaints with police over the recent period, saying they’ve discovered stray animals stabbed to death. A total of 10 such incidents have been recorded in central Volos over the past two weeks, all against cats and in one instance, against a dog.
The current government has stiffened penalties – which now include mandatory jail time for certain animal cruelty convictions – after coming to office in 2019, along with raising prison terms for aggravated felonies, recurrent misdemeanors and stricter bail/parole conditions.
Warning: Disturbing images in the video below.
