According to Le Parisien, the Lille Criminal Court ruled against the owner of a cat named "Lanna" on charges of "cruelty to animals" after the cat was found dead in a garbage bin in July 2023.
The defendant, who confessed to killing the one-year-old cat by torturing it because it scratched his child with autism, was sentenced to 8 months suspended imprisonment and banned from owning pets.
On the other hand, the court issued a symbolic verdict, awarding 100 euros in compensation to the tortured cat.
In a post on her social media account, Graziella Dode, an animal rights defender who was a party to the case and a lawyer representing the Nord Region Animal Protection Association, announced the decision of the Lille Criminal Court and evaluated this decision as a step towards the "development of animal rights".
The court's decision, the first of its kind in France, was welcomed by animal lovers.
Fabien Macrhadier, Professor of Law at the University of Poitiers, spoke to 20 Minutes about the court's symbolic decision, which "treats the animal as a person".
Prof. Macrhadier pointed out that this decision paves the way for questioning the methods applied to animals in reproduction and medical treatment.
On the other hand, the news report did not provide information on where the 100 euros compensation for the dead cat will be paid.
