People accused of abusing animals were hauled to court the equivalent of six times a day across England and Wales last year. Animal cruelty has come under the spotlight after professional footballer Kurt Zouma admitted kicking and slapping his cat.
The West Ham United player pleaded guilty to two counts under the Animal Welfare Act when he appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court in east London on Tuesday morning. Zouma, 27, was forced to apologise after harrowing footage was filmed and shared by his younger brother Yoan, 24, who admitted one offence during the hearing.
The older sibling joins thousands of people across England and Wales who have faced charges of animal cruelty in recent years. In 2021 alone, 2,028 such offences were prosecuted in courts across the two nations, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show – around six per day on average.
