Target: Kim Jin-pyo, Speaker of General Assembly of South Korea
Goal: Commend actions taken to increase penalties for animal cruelty and to better safeguard at-risk animals.
An unidentified man recently caused a stir in South Korea when he was convicted of deliberately killing dozens of cats via means ranging from strangulation to car strikes. The disturbing serial cat killer case was detailed in this ForceChange petition, with plentiful calls for justice. The reported perpetrator has now received his sentence.
After condemning the convicted man’s “indescribably cruel” crimes, the Changwon District Court sentenced the suspect to one year and two months in prison. The ruling cited the man’s violations of the national animal protection law. An undisclosed mental ailment with which the man was apparently afflicted seemingly mitigated his sentence.
On a broader societal level, this case and its outcome are important because they have garnered even more public and political support for a proposed Civil Act amendment that would grant legal recognition of animals as living beings and provide stronger protections for them in South Korea. Sign the petition below to support enhanced legal safeguards for animals.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Speaker Kim,
The shocking case of a man who was convicted of killing over 70 cats proved to be a high-profile test of the revised Animal Protection Act. The man’s sentencing, which included prison time, validates why this law was and is needed. As a South Korean representative of Humane Society International reflected, “the sentence reflects Korean society’s increasing concern for animal welfare and intolerance for senseless cruelty such as this.”
Thank you for your efforts in passing this legislation and continued efforts to enshrine fuller protections for all living beings via the Civil Act amendment.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Mustafa Ezz
