Rabbit Island animal abuser gets suspended sentence
The 25-year-old man from Otsu City, charged with violating the Animal Welfare Act for torturing rabbits and kicking one to death on Okunoshima, A.K.A. Rabbit Island, was sentenced in Kure, April 14.
The defendant had admitted the charges at the first hearing last month, and his defense did not dispute the prosecution’s assertion that the defendant’s actions, driven by a desire to see the reactions of the rabbits to his abuse, were heinous. They did, however, seek a suspended sentence as opposed to the prosecution’s call for a one-year prison sentence.
The Asahi Shimbun reports that on January 9 and 21st, the defendant killed one rabbit and abused six others, stomping on their heads, breaking their legs, and inserting scissors into their mouths and twisting the blades.
In his ruling, the judge stated that in just one month, the defendant traveled long distances to the crime scene on two occasions and committed consecutive crimes, which shows the premeditated nature of his crimes.
“Even if we take into consideration that he was suffering from a mental illness and was mentally unstable at the time, his crimes deserve strong condemnation,” he said.
The court then sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended for three years, citing his admission of guilt and expression of remorse. The fact that he had received severe social opprobrium due to extensive media coverage and lost his job also contributed to the decision.
It is reported that the man started watching videos showing the butchering of game rabbits while on a stress-induced leave of absence from his job. We hope this obviously troubled young man receives skilled medical help as part of his sentence.
