French Rail Operator In Court After Cat Run Over By Train

[duncanp]

The French rail operator SNCF is being taken to court after a cat escaped from its container at the Gare Montparnasse in Paris and hid under a train.

The train departed whilst the cat was still under it, resulting in the cat being killed.

The owners of the cat are claiming that the SNCF knew the cat was still under there and thus the SNCF intentionally killed the cat, whereas the SNCF are claiming that the cat was no longer visible when the order was given for the train to depart.

Whilst it is sad that the cat has died, I think the owners are taking the mickey in suing the SNCF.

Should the owners not have taken more responsibility to keep their cat secured in its container whilst at a potentially dangerous environment such as a railway station?

I hate to think what would happen if a TOC in the UK was found to be liable for the death of an animal in similar circumstances.

French rail operator in court after cat run over by train

The death of the pet, called Neko, has sparked protests, a petition and legal action against state-owned firm SNCF

www.telegraph.co.uk

French rail operator in court after cat run over by train​

The death of the pet, called Neko, has sparked protests, a petition and legal action against state-owned firm SNCF

he death of a cat that was run over by a train in France has sparked protests and landed the national rail operator in court.

Pet owners Georgia and her 15-year-old daughter Melaina were preparing to board a train from Paris’s Montparnasse station to Bordeaux in January when their cat Neko escaped from its travel bag and disappeared under a stationary carriage.

After 20 minutes of trying to persuade staff to rescue it, the train departed, killing the cat.

“We saw him sliced in half,” Melaina told animal rights association 30 Millions d’Amis (30 Million Friends), which pressed for charges.

“They told us it wasn’t their problem, that it was just a cat and that we should have had it on a leash.”

The incident caused outrage among pet lovers who filed a criminal lawsuit against the SNCF.

Campaigners from 30 Millions d’Amis accused the company of “serious abuse and acts of cruelty”.



On Saturday, demonstrators gathered at the Bordeaux station in protest over the cat’s death.

A petition calling for “justice for Neko” has also notched up 33,500 signatures.

The SNCF is facing the relatively mild charge of “inflicting involuntary harm on a domestic pet,” punishable by a €450 fine.

But lawyers for the charity had asked a court to raise the offence to willfully causing the animal’s death, which carries a possible fine of up to €75,000 and a five-year jail sentence.

On Monday a police tribunal ruled that there should be no criminal trial. But a decision on whether a fine will be issued is expected to be announced at a later date.

“Neko has not said his last word,” said Georgia.

“This must never happen again. It’s important symbolically.”

The SNCF said in a statement: “Everyone has been very affected by this event which has stirred strong emotions in the company and among the train personnel.”

“Despite the search by staff and the owner, the cat was no longer visible when the train departed. No one knew where it was.”

 

[pdeaves]

responsibility

That is the problem word, unfortunately.