Acquittals Cause Outrage

No Justice for the Dead Cat “Schmotzer”

The four men faced charges of animal cruelty in Innsbruck.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Christian Forcher/Fotoworxx, Privat, Krone KREATIV)

The young Tyroleans who filmed themselves brutally ending the life of the cat “Schmotzer” were acquitted at trial. There is widespread outrage following the four acquittals. Animal rights activists and lawyers are now calling for harsher penalties for animal cruelty and for an animal welfare ombudsman within the judiciary to give a voice to animal victims.

There is great outrage over the final acquittals in the case of “Schmotzer,” the cat brutally killed by four young men in Tyrol. The “Krone” report on the verdicts in the animal cruelty trial received more than 1,000 reader comments within a few hours.

One person who has been advocating for animal welfare for decades is the well-known Viennese attorney Rudolf Mayer. Together with many of his colleagues, he is calling for harsher penalties for animal abusers and legal reform. Currently, such offenders face a maximum of two years in prison, although in practice, sentences are almost always handed down with probation.

Penalties serve not only as a deterrent but also reflect the values of a society.

Anwalt Rudolf Mayer fordert einen Tierschutzbeauftragten in der Justiz.

Bild: Mario Urbantschitsch

The four men had to face charges of animal cruelty in Innsbruck.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Christian Forcher/Fotoworxx, Privat, Krone KREATIV)

“Penalties not only serve as a deterrent, but they also reflect a society’s values,” he says, “anything that treats an animal as if it were an object must be radically changed.”

This is shown in the gruesome video

A cell phone camera captured the scenes that brought the life of the tomcat “Schmotzer” to a agonizing end. What is documented in the video?

It begins with one of the acquitted men holding down the cat, which is lying at the edge of a meadow. He is wearing black gloves. Another man places the bolt gun against the cat’s forehead and pulls the trigger. Laughter can be heard in the background.

Then one of the men strikes the red-and-white-spotted cat several times with a shovel. Again and again, he strikes the animal’s head with full force, while the others make comments. The cat’s entire body twitches. It looks as if “Schmotzer” is trying to run away with his last ounce of strength. His head is covered in blood.

Something like “Shoot it one more time, please” can be heard in the background. The cat’s legs are still moving. Then one of the young men slits the cat’s throat with a knife.

Mayer therefore proposes that an animal welfare officer be appointed within the justice system. This officer should be allowed to act as a representative for the victimized animals in court proceedings: “This would have the advantage of ensuring that someone speaks up for an animal, even if it has no human owner. So that the animal has a voice in court.” In addition to harsher penalties, Mayer also calls for animal abusers to be fined: “The current regulations no longer reflect the spirit of the times.”

Animal Rights Activists Demand Consequences
This view is shared by the animal rights activists who gathered for a vigil on Tuesday outside the Innsbruck Regional Court. After the four acquittals in the case involving the killed cat “Schmotzer,” there was great disappointment—they demanded justice. Especially since the video showing the feline’s death throes speaks for itself.

From the protesters’ perspective, none of their concerns were addressed. When they heard the verdict, many were stunned. Animal rights activist and vigil organizer Barbara Graf commented: “If people are so indifferent to the cat’s suffering even in the courtroom, what will happen to farm animals? They won’t have any rights left at all.” She also called it “the darkest day for animal welfare” and warned of potential copycat crimes.