To think that Kurt Zouma should be banned from keeping animals after abusing his cat?

It would help if this thread wasn’t invisible.
It’s so frustrating ?

Not to us it won’t.

This is a game they have played well.
Ignore it for long enough and it'll be as if it never happened.

lavendermine

I had an email from the Football Association directing me to the statements on West Ham about a week ago.
I saw Moyes trying to put a "halo" back on his head yesterday, talking about one of his Ukraine players who is anxious about his family (which we do understand) and talking about the support he was being given.
I'm hoping that the RSPCA will prosecute.

I too support anything to help Ukraine but with him it’s just a deflection I think, he just wants what happened with that cat kicker under the carpet and out of the way…. From what I’ve read about RSPCA I don’t hold out much hope…?

I had an email from the Football Association directing me to the statements on West Ham about a week ago.
I saw Moyes trying to put a "halo" back on his head yesterday, talking about one of his Ukraine players who is anxious about his family (which we do understand) and talking about the support he was being given.
I'm hoping that the RSPCA will prosecute.

Several emails to West Ham and still no bloody reply ?

MissAdventure

I havent come across anyone with a good experience of the RSPCA, I have to say.

They are a bloody dead loss.
I thought that they’d step up to the plate as they usually do when there is any publicity involved,
but they haven’t even bothered this time.
And the amount of money that they have got

I don't think they have any powers Shinamae and very sadly it often looks as if the RSPCA, if you'll pardon the pun, is 'a toothless dog'.

I don't know.
I think perhaps the cats protection are a bit more proactive?
I havent ever heard of anyone going directly to them to report abuse, though.

MissAdventure

I havent come across anyone with a good experience of the RSPCA, I have to say.

Do cats protection and dogs trust have any powers or do they just take in the unwanted /abused animals? ?‍♀️

I havent come across anyone with a good experience of the RSPCA, I have to say.

Germanshepherdsmum

Yes they do have power to prosecute and if they don’t it will backfire badly on them.

Well that’s a glimmer of hope unless the RSPCA are actually a toothless tiger

Yes they do have power to prosecute and if they don’t it will backfire badly on them.

Iam64

Exactly as GSM says. Lawyers are paid to represent their client and do so effectively most of the time. Prosecutions cost huge amounts of public money. The CpS has to consider the likelihood of successful prosecution

But surely a prosecution by the RSPCA would be funded by the donations they receive?

Exactly as GSM says. Lawyers are paid to represent their client and do so effectively most of the time. Prosecutions cost huge amounts of public money. The CpS has to consider the likelihood of successful prosecution

I would agree with you shinamae but the lawyer will be paid to say how devastated they all are, how they haven't been able to sleep without the cats, all sorts of rubbish.

Germanshepherdsmum

*shinamae*, a good lawyer will say what a devastating effect this has had on the whole family, how remorseful Zouma is, how the scales have dropped from his eyes and he will never do such a terrible thing again, how the family are totally broken and the children's lives will be irreparably damaged if they are deprived of their beloved pets. Etc etc etc. And that's just off the top of my head as a lawyer who didn't do criminal work. He will probably employ a QC who does this sort of thing every day, pulling rabbits out of hats.

I would say the children were irreparably damaged when they witnessed the abuse of the cat and having the cat slapped out of a child’s arms but I bow to your superior knowledge GM. Let’s just keep the pressure up even if it’s only on our little thread on Gransnet…

shinamae, a good lawyer will say what a devastating effect this has had on the whole family, how remorseful Zouma is, how the scales have dropped from his eyes and he will never do such a terrible thing again, how the family are totally broken and the children's lives will be irreparably damaged if they are deprived of their beloved pets. Etc etc etc. And that's just off the top of my head as a lawyer who didn't do criminal work. He will probably employ a QC who does this sort of thing every day, pulling rabbits out of hats.

Germanshepherdsmum

I agree Iam. It's only public pressure which will get the RSPCA to do anything. I sometimes wonder why I support them and am seriously reconsidering the legacy I'm leaving in my will.

I am leaving some money to dogs trust it’s not a lot but that’s who I would leave mine to if not that it would be cat protection

What’s a lawyer going to say? “He was only stroking the cat with his foot”…..?‍♀️

I agree Iam. It's only public pressure which will get the RSPCA to do anything. I sometimes wonder why I support them and am seriously reconsidering the legacy I'm leaving in my will.

He's definitely guilty, no lawyer could argue otherwise shinamae unless he were found to be insane, or unable to control his actions, which obviously isn't the case with a world class footballer. But then comes the clever plea in mitigation in order to make the sentence as painless as possible - including what happens to the cats.

Germanshepherdsmum

They can only keep the cats if he agrees or a court orders it. He is clearly guilty but you may depend he will have a good lawyer.

But surely even the best lawyer cannot argue with the video evidence GM? I believe you were a lawyer so you obviously do know more than me but it’s just astonishing if a lawyer can talk his way out of this with the evidence in front of his eyes ?‍♀️?‍♀️

Prosecutions for animal abuse or neglect are vanishingly rare
I believe without the public pressure as a result of the video shared on line, the RSPCA would have done nothing

They can only keep the cats if he agrees or a court orders it. He is clearly guilty but you may depend he will have a good lawyer.