"Disturbing and cowardly"
Announcement posted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Australia 27 Sep 2018
Dear Editor,
People in Western Australia and throughout the country are horrified at reports of what police have described as the "disturbing and cowardly" torture and killing of two kangaroos. Police found videos of these attacks on a mobile phone, and are looking for three men who appear on the footage. A Joondalup Police Detective, Senior Sergeant Paul Giuffre, said "I've seen the videos and honestly, in my 17 years of policing, it's one of the most disturbing things I have seen, hands down. It's graphic, it's disturbing, it's cowardly."
In one incident, a small kangaroo is held down after being been burnt using an accelerant. Men then repeatedly punch and stab the animal and can be heard laughing. Another video, shot just minutes later, shows a man shoot the kangaroo in the head and a later video shows another kangaroo being repeatedly stabbed by a man as he or she struggles to escape. Men are heard laughing, swearing and encouraging the attacker before the animal is killed.
People who hurt animals are often just getting warmed up. The link between cruelty to animals and other violent crimes is recognized by the FBI, which has found that a history of cruelty to animals regularly appears in its records of serial rapists and murderers. Psychiatrists list cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion in the standard diagnostic and treatment manual for conduct disorders. One U.S. study found that animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. Another study, in Australia, revealed that 100 percent of sexual homicide offenders examined had a history of animal cruelty.
Cruelty to animals is a serious crime and if the perpetrators aren’t caught then more animals including humans will be at risk. Anyone with information pertaining to this case is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online immediately, for the safety of the entire community.
Desmond Bellamy
Special Projects Coordinator
PETA Australia
PO Box 2352
Byron Bay NSW 2481
0411 577416
DesmondB@PETA.org.au
People in Western Australia and throughout the country are horrified at reports of what police have described as the "disturbing and cowardly" torture and killing of two kangaroos. Police found videos of these attacks on a mobile phone, and are looking for three men who appear on the footage. A Joondalup Police Detective, Senior Sergeant Paul Giuffre, said "I've seen the videos and honestly, in my 17 years of policing, it's one of the most disturbing things I have seen, hands down. It's graphic, it's disturbing, it's cowardly."
In one incident, a small kangaroo is held down after being been burnt using an accelerant. Men then repeatedly punch and stab the animal and can be heard laughing. Another video, shot just minutes later, shows a man shoot the kangaroo in the head and a later video shows another kangaroo being repeatedly stabbed by a man as he or she struggles to escape. Men are heard laughing, swearing and encouraging the attacker before the animal is killed.
People who hurt animals are often just getting warmed up. The link between cruelty to animals and other violent crimes is recognized by the FBI, which has found that a history of cruelty to animals regularly appears in its records of serial rapists and murderers. Psychiatrists list cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion in the standard diagnostic and treatment manual for conduct disorders. One U.S. study found that animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. Another study, in Australia, revealed that 100 percent of sexual homicide offenders examined had a history of animal cruelty.
Cruelty to animals is a serious crime and if the perpetrators aren’t caught then more animals including humans will be at risk. Anyone with information pertaining to this case is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online immediately, for the safety of the entire community.
Desmond Bellamy
Special Projects Coordinator
PETA Australia
PO Box 2352
Byron Bay NSW 2481
0411 577416
DesmondB@PETA.org.au