Isha Sesay
TWO youths have been arrested for animal cruelty in Mallorca after allegedly torturing and killing a cat.
The heinous act was uncovered by residents in Manacor who were awoken in the early hours of Sunday morning by a howling feline.
Locals then watched a group of four youths, whose ages have not been disclosed, tying the cat up with rope.
One of the boys then stuck his fingers in the cat’s eyes completely removing it from the eye socket.
Another boy then proceeded to stamp on the feline before the group fled on foot, leaving the animal’s lifeless body in the middle of the road.
A Policia Local patrol arrived at the scene a short time later and confirmed that the cat was dead.
With detailed descriptions of the assailants in hand officers searched the area, finding two boys nearby.
Both have since been charged with animal cruelty and remain in police custody.
The investigation has now been handed over to the Policia Nacional who are attempting to trace the two remaining members of the group.
It comes as animal abuse crimes shot up 400% in the last decade in Spain.
Figures from the Guardia Civil’s environmental arm Seprona showed that since 2008, investigations into animal abuse have increased eight-fold, from just 108 to 914 in 2017.
This year a 49-year-old man was charged with animal cruelty in Malaga after 16 dogs were found in horrific conditions with their eyes and jaws missing.
A vet who was passed photographs said the dog’s ears had been cut and it had been abused.
