The local GNR already has a list of crowd members who witnessed the Mourão cat burning incident. The culprits will be found.
The District of Bragança GNR Command said today that its officers are continuing in their efforts to identify from the list those responsible for the Saint John's day ‘traditional’ cat burning incident.
The culprits will be interviewed with a view to prosecution using Portugal’s new animal protection laws.
Such was the outcry when the cat burning video clip hit social media worldwide, that the Public Ministry has given the GNR 30 days to complete its investigations with an eye to a high profile prosecution to show how Portugal is serious about animal welfare.
Complaints following the incident were made last week by the animal rights organisation ANIMAL which is seeking the prosecution of those involved.
Rita Silva, the President of ANIMAL said today that the excuse that the cat burning was 'a tradition dating back to Medieval times' was not a valid one, saying that "traditions have to evolve."
Other animal welfare organisations have filed complaints including Partido Pessoas Animais Natureza and the Grupo Gatos Urbanos.
The case was made public by the International Movement in Defence of Animals which highlighted the video that an anonymous individual had posted.
The clip, lasting about five minutes, "shows a cat placed in a clay pot and suspended a few meters above the ground on a pole."
The pole had been covered with straw and set light to until the string holding the pot, burns through, the pot then crashes to the ground and the cat starts running around in distress.
The population of Mourão claimed the cat did not die but agreed that it was a little bit singed with many wondering what all the fuss was about.
A petition is here:
