Fine and restraining order for the man who assaulted a woman for giving a cat a drink

The Investigating Court number 1 of Elche (Alicante) has sentenced a man who kicked a woman – a manager of a feline colony authorized by the Santa Pola City Council – when she tried to give water to a cat. The man will have to pay a fine and, in addition, he is prohibited from approaching the caretaker and the places that she frequents.

The complaint, filed by the victim and by the CER Association (Capture-Sterilization-Return), originated as a result of the events that occurred on July 29, when, around eight in the morning, the now convicted, owner of a seaside restaurant in Santa Pola, tried to prevent two feline colony managers from putting water on a cat.

According to the proven facts of the sentence, when the man noticed the presence of the women -who have authorization from the Santa Pola City Council to feed them-, “excitedly, he addressed them and began to tell them: ‘Here is a restaurant, the cats shit and pee, you can’t put anything on the cat, I’m going to call the police’”.

At the moment when one of the caretakers was giving the animal water, the man kicked her right wrist, causing, according to a forensic report, a bruise and pain for which she had to be treated.

For this reason, the court condemns the man for a minor offense of injury, to a fine of 150 euros, plus payment of costs. In case of non-payment of the economic sanction, it will be replaced by fifteen days of deprivation of liberty. Likewise, he must pay the assaulted caregiver the amount of 269.85 euros, as civil liability.

In addition, it is prohibited “to approach at a distance of not less than 100 meters from the complainant, from her home, place of work or any other places frequented by her, as well as the prohibition to communicate with her by any means for a period of time. three months.”

However, it acquits him of the misdemeanor of coercion since it has not been proven that the defendant knew that the women had the authorization of caregivers.

For the lawyer Eloi Sarrió, director of Aboganimal, a law firm specializing in Animal Law, “with sentences like this we all win and we advance as a society.”

Valuable social work

“We say it a lot, but it is still necessary to reiterate it: feline colony managers have the right to carry out their valuable social work calmly and without interference. Only in this way can feline colonies be protected ”, they emphasize from the office, which points out that this “pioneering” sentence, since it supposes “the prohibition of removal of the caregiver and her colony ”is“ a fair recognition of the dignity her “.

“We know that the sentence imposed may not seem like much, but it is important as a precedent, due to its symbolic value, because it gives them protection in the exercise of their work and because it forces the convicted person not only to move away from the caretaker but also from his neighborhood. ”, concludes Sarrió.