Cat lovers have referred to as for French railway workers to be despatched to prison after a much-loved household pet was ”sliced in half” as a result of they refused to delay a prepare when he ran on the monitor.
The dying of Neko, aged 4, has triggered widespread anger throughout the country, and a felony prosecution that on Tuesday was being thought of by judges in Paris.
Animal rights activists have referred to as for powerful action in opposition to SNCF, France’s nationwide rail operator, following the cat’s dying in January.
He was together with his house owners – named by the Paris Police Tribunal as Georgia and her 15-year-old daughter Melaina – at Paris Montparnasse station when he escaped from his journey bag and acquired beneath a stationary prepare certain for Bordeaux.
After a 20-minute search, they pleaded for the prepare to be delayed, however as a substitute it set off as deliberate.
“We saw him sliced in half,’”stated Melaina, who’s 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 felony lawsuit has been filed in opposition to SNCF, with the campaigners calling for the operator to be discovered responsible of “wilfully causing an animal’s death” – an offence which comes with a five-year jail sentence and high-quality equal to round £67,000.
Demonstrators have gathered throughout the nation, and a “Justice for Neko” petition is approaching 40,000 signatures.
The case opened on Monday, with SNCF going through the cost of ‘inflicting involuntary harm on a domestic pet,’ however 30 Million Friends attorneys stated the offence ought to be raised.
Prosecutors have initially requested for the costs to be dropped, however judges had been on Tuesday mulling over the case, and will nonetheless order a trial.
“Neko has not said his last word,” stated Georgia. “This must never happen again. A trial is important symbolically.”
An SNCF spokesman stated: “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.”
