Convicted by the Court of Napoli North to four months of imprisonment, and to pay the legal costs, the man who in Frattamaggiore in the summer of 2017 killed Ketty, a miniature chihuahua, hitting her with a kick that made her hit her head against a step in the entrance hall of the building where she lived with her owner. This was announced by the International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA), which immediately filed a complaint as a civil party and which once again underlines the need for a reform of the Penal Code that increases the penalties for crimes against animals.
"The violent loss of Ketty's life is only worth four months of imprisonment for those who committed this crime, apparently," comments the president of OIPA, Massimo Comparotto. "It's time to undertake a reform that will make the penalties more severe for those who commit crimes against sentient beings whose need for protection is also recognized in the new article 9 of the Constitution. Public opinion does not understand the smallness of these penalties and it is useless to promise to make them harsher in election campaigns if we don't then take action."
According to the news, a twelve-year-old girl witnessed the violent killing of Ketty and, in shock, alerted the owner of the dog, who was regularly registered and equipped with a microchip. The officers of a patrol car from the Frattamaggiore Police Station rushed to the scene and traced the man. The man, who shortly after showed up at the police station, tried to justify himself by declaring that the small dog weighing just a few kilos had tried to attack him. Instead, thanks to the testimony of the twelve-year-old, the man was reported for causing the death of an animal (article 544 bis of the Penal Code), a crime for which he was brought to trial.
Article published on 27 January 2023 - 14:10
