Society

Cat stomper found to be nurse

(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2006-03-11 08:46

Animal rights activists say they've tracked down the high-heeled woman who stomped a kitten to death in an infamous video and the man who produced the shock film in northern China's Heilongjiang Province.

Whether the pair will face any significant punishment is unclear, however. China doesn't have effective regulations prohibiting cruelty to animals.

But while the law may be lacking, the court of public opinion is already doling out a hefty sentence of shame.

Under pressure from local government, the video's producer, who works as a camera operator at a TV station, apologized for his actions and posted a self-criticism on the Internet.

A hospital nurse identified as the kitten-killing actress has disappeared from sight, and her friends and family are worried about what might have happened to her.

Outraged pet lovers began looking for the duo two weeks ago after a series of videos involving attractive women stomping small animals to death were posted on several "Crush" Websites. Some of the videos could be downloaded for free, and others were offered for sale at 15 yuan (US$1.87) each.

With the help of animal lovers from around the country, the volunteer sleuths tracked down the video makers to Luobei County in Hegang City.

"The video was taken on Mingshan Island near our town last summer," a district resident told the Beijing News.

Once the names of the culprits surfaced, Luobei government officials, aided by the police, contacted the employers of the actress and video producer and suggested that they be sent home from their jobs to write self-criticisms.

The producer was identified as Li Yuejun, a cameraman at Luobei Television.

He subsequently wrote an apology that was posted on the district's Website. Li admitted he was involved in the animal-stomping video, though he said he wasn't behind the camera.

He said he was offered the deal online by a Jilin Province resident last summer and then arranged for the actress and sold several video discs.

In Li's confession, he said he was sorry for mistreating the animals and is ready to accept punishment. But there was no suggestion on what that might be.