Train Operator Who Ran Over a Cat Fined by French Court Following Public Outrage

A national trail operator was found guilty of negligence after a leaving train ran over a cat hiding on the tracks.

The owner of Neko, which means "cat" in Japanese, accused a rail worker of cruelty in January after they refused to delay a high-speed train traveling from Paris to Bordeaux because their pet jumped on the tracks.

On Tuesday, the French court fined SNCF €1,000 (more than $100) for 'negligence', ruling that the death of the car had been caused involuntarily.

Cat's Tragic Death

Georgia and her 15-year-old daughter Melaina said their pet escaped from their travel bag and disappeared under the high-speed train preparing to leave with 800 passengers on board.

The owners spent 20 minutes trying to plead with the staff at the Montparnasse station to rescue the cat. However, the train still departed, leaving the cat owner in agony.

"We saw him sliced in half," Melaina told animal rights association 30 Million Friends as qouted by Strait Times.

"They told us it wasn't their problem, that it was just a cat and that we should have had it on a leash," she added.

The railway company offered Georgia and Melaina a free ticket going to Bordeaux as compensation.

According to Euro News, passengers are allowed to bring their pets on SNCF trains either in a carrier or on a leash, as long as they do not disturb other passengers. However, guide dogs must have a train ticket, which costs €7 ($7.62).

In defense, the SNCF claimed that Neko was not visible under the train, and the operator is not sure whether the cat is still on the track.

The train staff also stressed the dangers of going down onto the live train tracks, which are electrified.

Meanwhile, the SNCF told Euronews Green that they "regrets this sad incident" but added that "it is strictly forbidden to go down on the tracks, which would endanger the lives of the two travellers or of our agents... the risks of electrocution are real."

They also claimed that they are concerned about the safety of the animals that travel with them.

Public Outrage

This incident sparked outrage among animal rights groups.

Activists staged a protest, and an online petition titled 'Justice for Neko' garnered more than 33,000 signatures.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin also rally against the cruel act and told a local news channel that he was "particularly shocked" by the incident, the Guardian reported.

A criminal case of 'inflicting involuntary harm on a domestic pet' against SNCF was opened on June 19 in Paris. This charge carries a potential €450 ($489) fine.

But the 30 Million Friends group said the offense should be raised to 'wilfully causing an animal's death', which carries a €75,000 ($81,649) fine and up to five years' imprisonment.

Following the tragic death of Neko, Darmanin said that police officers at 4,000 stations throughout France will receive training to deal with animal abuse and trafficking.

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