IPOH, Aug 20 — Police have detained a man after a video showing him abusing a kitten with an aluminium broomstick in a Batu Gajah housing area circulated on social media.
Batu Gajah police district chief ACP Md Noor Aehawan Mohammad stated that the suspect surrendered himself at the Batu Gajah police headquarters after the footage went viral. He was subsequently arrested to assist with the investigation.
Police were alerted to the incident at approximately 12.04pm on Aug 19, after the event was recorded by the suspect’s neighbour, who witnessed the abuse.
“A review of the two-minute-19-second video showed a man repeatedly hitting the kitten with an aluminium broomstick. The incident took place in the parking area of the suspect’s house,” Md Noor Aehawan said in a statement.
Upon questioning, the suspect admitted to hitting the kitten, claiming the animal had entered the engine compartment of his vehicle, which was parked within his house compound.
He allegedly claimed that he acted out of concern that the kitten would be harmed or the vehicle damaged if the engine were started.
The case is being investigated under Section 428 of the Penal Code and Section 29(1)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015.
Md Noor Aehawan confirmed that the kitten survived the attack and was rescued by the neighbour, who intended to take the animal to a veterinary clinic today for treatment. Police will obtain a formal veterinary report to complete their investigation.
The district chief also cautioned the public against taking matters into their own hands or engaging in acts that could injure or mistreat animals.
