A woman beat a pregnant female hedgehog to death with her feet in Chernihiv

In Chernihiv, a woman was sentenced to five years of imprisonment for cruel treatment of a female hedgehog that led to the animal’s death. This decision was made by the Desnianskyi District Court of Chernihiv. An examination determined that the female was pregnant and was carrying four embryos.

The court established that the attack occurred in the evening near one of the city’s houses. The defendant repeatedly kicked the animal. The hedgehog died on the spot: she was found with severe injuries to the chest and abdominal cavities, as well as fractures of the ribs and spine.

During the trial the woman fully admitted her guilt and expressed remorse. Since the parties did not dispute the facts, the case was considered under the procedure provided for by part 3 of Article 349 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

The court qualified the defendant’s actions under part 3 of Article 299 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: cruel treatment of a vertebrate animal, committed by an active method, which caused its death.

The court recognized sincere remorse and active assistance to the investigation as mitigating circumstances. There were no aggravating circumstances. At the same time, the probation authority assessed the risks of reoffending and the danger to society as high.

According to the forensic psychiatric examination, the woman was able to understand and control her actions. The experts did not identify a need to apply compulsory medical measures.

Weighing the severity of the crime, its consequences and information about the defendant, the court found no grounds either for a lighter sentence or for releasing her from serving the sentence on probation. The woman was found guilty. The verdict has not yet come into legal force — it can be appealed to the Chernihiv Court of Appeal.

Earlier we reported:

• Odesa court gave 60 days of house arrest to a man who killed a cat after it fell from the 6th floor
• Killed a yard dog and fled: police in Mykolaiv detained a 33-year-old man
• Shocking cruelty: a man threw a pregnant cat into the water and beat it to death with an oar
• Drunk man slit his dog’s throat and killed his mother’s cat: a resident of Mykolaiv region faces up to eight years in prison
• They laughed while the dog was dying: the brutal killing of a dog by teenagers shocked Zakarpattia