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France

Man faces jail after cat-throwing video outcry

A man caught on video repeatedly flinging a cat in the air is to face a court in the southern French city of Marseille on Monday. He could face two years in prison and a 30,000-euro fine for cruelty to animals.

A petition demanded that the man be punished for throwing the cat in the air repeatedly
A petition demanded that the man be punished for throwing the cat in the air repeatedly Open access/Yotube
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After being arrested on Saturday, the 25-year-old man, who has not been named, has confessed to throwing the cat, Oscar, as high and as far as possible several times, a source told the AFP news agency.

He claims that Oscar is still alive, despite his ordeal, although police have been unable to find the animal.

An online petition collected over 111,000 signatures calling for the man to be punished after a video showing him repeatedly throwing the cat and allowing it to land with its full weight on a concrete floor was posted on the internet.

He is to face charges of "acts of cruelty towards a pet or domestic animal", which carry a maximum of two years' jail and a 30,000-euro fine;

The animal-rights foundation set up by film star-turned-animal-rights campaigner, Brigitte Bardot, has taken out a civil case against him for "acts of cruelty and serious abuse" and expressed concern that social networks provide a "platform" for such behaviour.

Police are also looking for the person who shot the footage, apparently on a mobile phone.

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