In recent days, multiple mutilated cat carcasses have been found in Japan's Saitama city, which has alarmed residents and caused officials to ramp up security protocols.
According to CNN, the first grim discovery came to light when a woman found a severed head and paws of a brown-speckled cat along the Arakawa River in Saitama city. Days later, the officials discovered the rest of the body on the grounds of an elementary school. Within the next 10 days, members of the public also found two more mutilated cat carcasses, one in a field and another on the side of a small town road, the outlet reported.
While there is no indication that these gruesome acts may also involve human victims, the city has been on edge because of its history of such incidents. Citing Japan's public broadcaster NHK, CNN reported that local schools have asked teachers to escort children home and advised them to walk in large groups. Police have also stepped up patrols.
Speaking to the outlet, a Saitama police spokesperson said that they have launched animal cruelty investigations and were looking into whether the various cat killings were linked. Notably, in Japan, it is a crime to kill or injure animals - punishable with jail of up to five years or fines of around 5 million yen, or $36,600.
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Meanwhile, the cat killings have stirred uncomfortable memories in the Japanese city, which in recent years jailed a cat killed who tortured animals and posted videos of his gruesome actions online. One woman in her 80s told NHK that she felt "scared and uncomfortable" at hearing the news about the cat killings, but she added that her concerns go beyond those raised over animal welfare.
In the wake of the recent killings, experts have warned that in some minds animal cruelty can act as a gateway to even more heinous crimes. "Normally, criminal acts and cruelty are hidden, but daring to show them may be a form of self-expression," Kenji Omata, a psychology professor from Surugadai University, told the Japanese broadcaster.
Mr Omata also noted that there was animal abuse in the Kobe City child serial murder case as well. "I am very concerned about how long similar incidents will continue and whether people will be harmed," he added.
