A group of young people have made a gruesome discovery in the northern French village of Leuze, near the Belgian border. In the dilapidated house of a 70-year-old man, they found about 42 dead cats, stored in the freezer and refrigerator, according to local media. The man was arrested and stated that he had not harmed the animals.
Source: L’Union, Sudinfo, L’Aisne Nouvelle
The 42 frozen cat carcasses were discovered by a group of youths who broke into the 70-year-old man’s home. An animal protection association from Hirson, a town near Leuze, was notified on Saturday, May 16, and went to the scene together with the law enforcement services to conduct an investigation.
In a response to the French newspaper ‘L’Union’, public prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Miot stated that the alleged perpetrator “was arrested again this week”, after a first attempt in which the suspect could not be interrogated. “He denies any animal cruelty and states that he put stray cats that had died of disease in the freezer because ‘he didn’t know what to do with them,’” he continued.
No traces of violence
According to veterinary research, no signs of violence were found in the animals. The public prosecutor’s office confirms that the cats were “only placed in the freezer after their death.”
The man in his seventies has been under surveillance for years. He is “severely mentally handicapped”, said Miot. Due to lack of conclusive evidence, the case was closed. However, the man is referred to healthcare institutions for appropriate guidance and treatment.