Dead cat (archives)
Photo courtesy of Let the Animals Live
Army cook arrested on suspicion of killing cats
Soldier suspected of beating two cats to death to be charged with aminal abuse in coming days
An Israel Defense Forces soldier was arrested Thursday by the Military Police on suspicion of beating two cats to death.
The soldier, who serves as a cook at the Artillery Corps base in the Jordan Rift Valley, was detained following information received by the Investigating Military Police.
According to the suspicions, the cook killed one of the cats several months ago, and the second cat during the Passover holiday.
A military court extended his remand on Friday on suspicion of animal abuse. The secret investigation material was handed to the judge, Lieutenant-Colonel Orly Yaron.
According to the details revealed during the court hearing, the soldier beat the two cats to death. In one of the incidents, he claimed that the cat was dying and that he had killed it "in order to put it out of its misery."
According to the military prosecution, after the latest incident the soldier tried to convince his friends at the base not to tell anyone about what had happened.
The soldier admitted to carrying out the acts during the court hearing, but did not provide an explanation. The prosecution demanded that he remain in a military jail, while the soldier's defense attorney claimed that he should be released to an open prison in a military base.
The judge ruled that the soldier would remain in a military jail until Monday. He is expected to be charged with animal abuse in the coming days.
