Istanbul mourns death of “Eros”: Court gives maximum sentence to cat killer

Istanbul “Eros” obituary
Court gives maximum sentence to cat killer

March 13, 2024, 4:49 pm

Listen to the article

At the beginning of January, a man in Istanbul killed a famous cat named “Eros”. A city of millions is engulfed in tragedy. The act is filmed and enrages the entire town. The trial is getting a lot of attention and the verdict against him is unprecedented.

Many street cats have shaped Istanbul's cityscape over the years. The killing of one of them has now sparked outrage among animal lovers beyond the city limits. The court sentenced the accused to two-and-a-half years in prison for “intentionally killing an animal,” DHA news agency reported. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunk wrote on stage

The crime was captured on surveillance cameras, which showed the perpetrator kicking the cat in an elevator on January 1, then chasing it and eventually kicking it to death for several minutes. This act sent shockwaves across the country. According to DHA, the man told the police that he had psychological and family problems and lost his temper when he saw the cat in the elevator.

The criminal receives many threats

Videos on social media showed several trial spectators chanting in court that the accused was a murderer. The hashtag “Justice for Eros”, named after the slain cat, was trending on Platform X. Several social media users issued threats against the accused. According to the DHA, the defendant told the court that he could no longer go out the door.

The accused was already sentenced to one year and three months in prison. After some time, the court reduced the sentence to three months for good behavior. This decision was appealed. The judgment can still be appealed. Violence against animals repeatedly makes headlines in Turkey. Animal rights activists criticize the lesser punishments and non-enforcement of existing laws against violence against animals.