Of course, there are worse things. This Thursday morning for example, a woman victim of her partner, with 45 days of ITT, was waiting for her turn in the lost steps room. But the “case” of the day, which occupied nearly two hours of hearing, was indeed that of this couple of notables from Dijon accused of having thrown two kittens out of the window of their car, boulevard Carnot in Dijon, on Sunday July 7, causing their death. With the legislative arsenal, reinforced by a 2021 law, they risk up to 5 years for “serious abuse or acts of cruelty towards a domestic animal resulting in death. » A theoretical maximum sentence, which nevertheless demonstrates the evolution of society’s view of animal abuse.
Both kittens died instantly.
The couple, a good-natured bourgeoisie from Dijon, with no criminal record, fiercely denies being the perpetrators and their lawyer, Me Louis Legentil, criticizes “a judicial error in progress. » It all starts with a Dijon woman who follows the couple’s car that day, around 2 p.m. She sees, she says, a hand coming out of the passenger window of the car and “a black ball” bouncing on the road. Arriving at the “black ball”, she discovers a kitten, unfortunately very affected, which dies very quickly. The veterinarian’s report notes numerous fractures, compatible with a violent shock. Not far from there, another woman from Dijon sees another kitten, white, on the road, just after the famous car passes. The little animal groans and suffocates. He too will die fairly quickly.
A sufficient bundle of clues
“It’s interpretation,” retorts Sylvie, 71, suspected of having thrown the kittens. “The car that followed us was 40 meters away” adds her husband, Bernard, 68 years old, former business manager, directive in front of the young president, accused of complicity because he was at the wheel of the car. “My wife loves cats,” he assures. The couple has an explanation: the kittens may have taken refuge in the engine of their car from which they fell. Not very convincing for the Parisian lawyer of the SPA and the association Stéphane Lamart, who recalls that “cats like the heat of engines in winter, not in the middle of summer. » Prosecutor Bouhey believes for her part that a “sufficient body of evidence exists” to convict the couple for “this odious act”. The testimony, of course, “which sees a hand come out of the car and a small black ball bounce”. On the videos from city cameras, we cannot see the scene. On the other hand, by zooming in, “we see, in the large shopping bag that Madame is holding on her knees, a black stain and a white stain, as if by chance. » Black spot which is not on the road before the car passes and which we can see just afterwards, she recalls. Finally, during the search of the couple’s home, their son “spontaneously” questions the police about the penalty incurred for those who kill kittens. She proposes a sentence of 50 days fine at €10 for each.
1,000 euros fine
Mr. Legentil came back as he rarely did. “It would be scandalous if they were convicted. I hear ridiculous, laughable arguments, so yes, it’s boiling over, I don’t want to see this injustice being committed before my eyes. You only need to spend half an hour with them over coffee to know that they are incapable of this gesture,” he assures. The motorist’s testimony? “She was 40 meters away, she thinks she saw. His companion, who was a passenger, was not questioned,” he regrets.
The court sentences the Dijon couple to a penalty of €500 each. They will also have to pay €1,200 to the associations for their moral damage and legal costs. Me Legentil indicated that an appeal would be filed.
