A shoeless Nigerian immigrant was arrested in Northern Italy after allegedly killing and cooking a cat in a public park near a children’s playground.
Police were notified Tuesday by local residents who reported seeing the man barbecuing the animal on a grate in Crociata Park in Sarzana, a town south of Genoa. It remains unclear whether the cat was a stray or belonged to someone as a pet.
Authorities said the man was taken into custody and charged with animal cruelty. Images circulated online showing the incident, sparking backlash. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini condemned the act, calling it a “heinous act that must not go unpunished,” according to local news outlet Il Secolo XIX.
In a post on social media, Sarzana Administrative Officer and Security Councilor Stefano Torri also denounced the incident and called for stricter enforcement.
“What happened this afternoon in Crociata Park is an atrocious act that cannot and should not have a place in a civilised society,” he said, according to The Noticer. “As an Administration, we are ready to reiterate strongly: we will not allow anyone to come into our territory to import sick and barbaric customs and customs.”
“Those living in our country have a duty to respect our laws and our sensitivity towards animals. We won’t tolerate our land being turned into a theatre of the uncivilised by those who have no respect for the rules of civil life,” he added.
Torri said local officials plan to increase security in the park and ensure it is safe so that it can be returned “to the citizens.”
Police were notified Tuesday by local residents who reported seeing the man barbecuing the animal on a grate in Crociata Park in Sarzana, a town south of Genoa. It remains unclear whether the cat was a stray or belonged to someone as a pet.
Authorities said the man was taken into custody and charged with animal cruelty. Images circulated online showing the incident, sparking backlash. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini condemned the act, calling it a “heinous act that must not go unpunished,” according to local news outlet Il Secolo XIX.
In a post on social media, Sarzana Administrative Officer and Security Councilor Stefano Torri also denounced the incident and called for stricter enforcement.
“What happened this afternoon in Crociata Park is an atrocious act that cannot and should not have a place in a civilised society,” he said, according to The Noticer. “As an Administration, we are ready to reiterate strongly: we will not allow anyone to come into our territory to import sick and barbaric customs and customs.”
“Those living in our country have a duty to respect our laws and our sensitivity towards animals. We won’t tolerate our land being turned into a theatre of the uncivilised by those who have no respect for the rules of civil life,” he added.
Torri said local officials plan to increase security in the park and ensure it is safe so that it can be returned “to the citizens.”
