Cat fans have actually required French train staff to be sent to prison after a much-loved family animal was ”sliced in half” due to the fact that they declined to postpone a train when he worked on the track.
The death of Neko, aged 4, has actually triggered prevalent anger throughout the country, and a criminal prosecution that on Tuesday was being thought about by judges in Paris.
Animal rights activists have actually required difficult action versus SNCF, France’s nationwide rail operator, following the cat’s death in January.
He was with his owners – called by the Paris Police Tribunal as Georgia and her 15-year-old child Melaina – at Paris Montparnasse station when he got away from his luggage and got beneath a fixed train bound for Bordeaux.
After a 20-minute search, they advocated the train to be postponed, however rather it triggered as prepared.
“We saw him sliced in half,’”said Melaina, who is being supported by the animal rights group 30 Million Friends.
“The rail staff told us it wasn’t their problem – that it was just a cat and that we should have had him on a leash.”
A criminal suit has actually been submitted versus SNCF, with the advocates requiring the operator to be condemned of “wilfully causing an animal’s death” – an offense which features a five-year jail sentence and great comparable to around £67,000.
Demonstrators have actually collected throughout the nation, and a “Justice for Neko” petition is approaching 40,000 signatures.
The case opened on Monday, with SNCF dealing with the charge of ‘inflicting involuntary harm on a domestic pet,’ however 30 Million Friends attorneys said the offense must be raised.
Prosecutors have actually at first requested for the charges to be dropped, however judges were on Tuesday mulling over the case, and might still purchase a trial.
“Neko has not said his last word,” said Georgia. “This must never happen again. A trial is important symbolically.”
An SNCF representative said: “Everyone has been very affected by this event which has stirred strong emotions in the company and among the train personnel.”
“Despite the search by staff and the owner, the cat was no longer visible when the train departed. No one knew where he was.”
