A MAN has been ordered to leave Spain after brutally kicking his ex-partners cat to death in the street in Torrevieja.
The 29-year-old foreign national accepted a plea deal to be deported to his country of origin to avoid a prison sentence for animal abuse and ‘vicarious violence’.
This is defined as violence carried out by a perpetrator against a third party — traditionally children, but legally expanded in recent years to include family pets — with the explicit intent of inflicting the maximum possible psychological pain on a partner or ex-partner.
The offender was also ordered by the court to pay €1,000 in compensation to his former partner, who was the owner of the cat, named Nala.
The shocking incident, which took place in late April, triggered a wave of outrage on the Costa Blanca after images and testimonies of the street attack circulated online.
He allegedly picked the feline up by its legs and smashed it against a wall, before finishing it off with a series of kicks.
The attacker was initially arrested by the Guardia Civil and released on bail, a move that sparked a massive protest in the city last Sunday.
More than 400 people gathered at the junction of Calle Clavel and Calle Orihuela to demand justice for the animal and stricter laws against abuse.
The demonstration was backed by local group Animalistas Torrevieja and PACMA (Partido Animalista con el Medio Ambiente – Animalist Party with the Environment).
Protesters chanted slogans including justice for Nala and ‘animals have feelings’ as they marched through the streets.
Campaigners celebrated the conviction and deportation order on Wednesday as a symbolic victory for animal rights in the Vega Baja region.
A spokesperson for Animalistas Torrevieja said they were very happy with the result and thanked the public for the social pressure and signatures that helped create a precedent.
Animal rights groups believe the ruling marks a turning point in how animal abuse is handled by the courts in the Alicante province.
The deportation order was finalized on Wednesday, May 13, following the successful pressure campaign.
The man’s nationality and country of origin has not been disclosed.
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