There were chaotic scenes outside the Taipei District Court yesterday as the trial of suspected cat killer Chan Ho-yeung (陳皓揚) opened, with angry protesters scuffling with police and some breaking through a cordon to attack Chan as he left the building.
More than 100 animal rights activists gathered in front of the court to protest against the killing of popular stray cat “Big Orange” in December last year, shouting that Chan was “human trash” and “a low life” and demanding that the court sentence him to the heaviest penalty stipulated by the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法).
Chan has also been accused of beating to death a cat known as “Ban Ban” (班班), that had been kept as a pet by a vegetarian restaurant and went missing on Aug. 2.
Photo: CNA
The 22-year-old National Taiwan University (NTU) graduate student from Macau represented himself without a lawyer at the proceeding, where he was charged with violating the Animal Protection Act over Big Orange’s death.
Chan admitted guilt, telling judges: “I have a psychological problem, and I could not control the compulsion to kill a cat. So when I saw Big Orange as I was passing by, I could not restrain myself from committing the crime.”
Prosecutors said NTU had provided Chan with psychological counseling, but he still allegedly killed a second cat, which shows that he has deeply ingrained antisocial tendencies and lacks compassion for animal life.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
Therefore, counseling is insufficient, and Chan should be ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment at NTU Hospital, to stop him from torturing and killing any more cats, prosecutors said.
The judges released Chan on NT$200,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 22.
Trees Party Secretary-General Lee Chien-ming (李建明) said that the courts usually treat animal abusers leniently.
Chan is a repeat offender, as he allegedly killed another cat in Taipei on Aug. 2, and he should be punished proportionately and ordered to undergo therapy, Lee said.
Animal rights advocates called on the legislature to immediately approve draft amendments of the Animal Protection Act, which would double the penalties for animal cruelty from a maximum one-year prison sentence and a fine of between NT$100,000 and NT$1 million (US$3,197 and US$31,969) to a maximum two-year prison sentence and a fine of between NT$200,000 and NT$2 million.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) said animal cruelty is an early predictor of later violent crimes against people, and increased penalties for animal abuse are necessary to prevent more serious crimes.
Animal rights advocates from Macau said they suspect Chan was behind the deaths of three stray cats in Macau during the Lunar New Year holidays, and they were concerned that Chan would harm more animals if he was released and deported to the territory.
Chan was escorted through a furious crowd to a car supplied by NTU, with protesters throwing objects and trying to obstruct the car.
Before he got into the car, protesters scuffled with police trying to protect Chan, who was punched, gouged, and put in a headlock by members of the crowd.
Several court bailiffs and journalists were knocked down by the surging crowd, with some sustaining minor bruises.
Two police officials also received minor injuries during the commotion.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS