Croydon Cat Killer
The Croydon Cat Killer (also known as the M25 Cat Killer or Cat Ripper ) was a spectacular criminal case in South London and the area around the M25 motorway for several years . It seemed as if a serial killer had beheaded and dismembered around 400 cats there since 2014. The exact numbers are unknown, the police initially assumed around 50 acts, but the estimates were considerably more. The animal welfare organization South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL) counted the 100th victim of the offender or group of offenders on June 2, 2016.
In September 2018, through a combination of surveillance videos, DNA tests on cat corpses and questioning fox experts, it was concluded that the findings were due to the activity of foxes. Confusion also arose from the fact that cats were initially run over by cars and their corpses were then severed by foxes, whereby the separation and dragging of the head and tail of foxes was common. The London police finally closed the cases investigated so far as non-criminal as a whole.
background
In November 2015, South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty reported cases of cat mutilation in Croydon . The head or tail was removed from the animals. The Metropolitan Police took the case and began their investigation. The series is said to have started in 2014. Initially, the cases were limited to Croydon and the surrounding area, especially the district in which the M25 motorway runs, so that the perpetrator was given the name M25 Cat Killer. By April 2016, however, the incidents spread to other locations. More dead animals appeared all over London, and it was no longer limited to cats, birds, foxes and rabbits were also affected.
In addition to the police, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) also investigated the case, in particular they examined the animals found and autopsied them. It was believed that attacks by other animals could be ruled out relatively quickly, since no animal species are known in this area that kill cats by blunt force. It was then decided whether it was an individual or a group of perpetrators, with most of the reports being based on an individual perpetrator. The investigations gave very different indications as to how the perpetrator brought the animals into his power. Some theories initially assumed that the perpetrator was already mutilating dead animals that he had stolen from somewhere. It was then considered more likely that he would kill the animals himself. All mutilations were committed post-mortem ; in most cases the cause of death was blunt violence and strangulation. The mutilations appeared to have been committed with a sharp object. In some cases, bait is said to have been used to attract the animals. The case attracted national and international attention. The killer received several nicknames from the British media, for example the nicknames "Cat-Ripper", "Croydon Cat Killer" and "M25 Cat Killer", which are based on Jack the Ripper .
All traces found ultimately found the explanation that foxes living in Croydon cut the cats killed in car accidents as carrion finds (head and tail were preferably separated) and carried the carcass parts off to their respective territories and later left them lying there.
The animal welfare organization PETA interfered in the case and offered a reward of initially 2,000, then 5,000 pounds for information that led to the perpetrator being caught. The campaign was supported by celebrities including Dermot O'Leary , Caroline Flack , Josh Franceschi of You Me at Six and The Vamps guitarist James McVey . South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty initiated a petitition attempting to garner 50,000 votes to step up police efforts. Particularly worrying is the fact that a personal description of an alleged perpetrator was also circulating and that a private reward was offered for his capture.
These efforts, after being disbanded in September 2018, have now been viewed in part as signs of moral panic among the British public.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Chris Dyer: Campaigners fear 'Croydon Cat Killer' has claimed 100th victim after headless feline found by road. Daily Mirror , June 2, 2016; accessed October 11, 2016 .
- ^ A b Anne Collinson, Tim Hague: Serial cat killer strikes again in Croydon taking total up to over 30 animals. BBC, January 27, 2016, accessed February 15, 2016 .
- ↑ a b Sitala Peek: 'Croydon cat killer': Animals lured with raw chicken, vet says. BBC News , February 19, 2016, accessed October 12, 2016 .
- ↑ a b Jamie Doward, Emma Supple: London cat killer mystery deepens as charities investigate 100 animal deaths. The Observer , April 23, 2016, accessed April 24, 2016 .
- ↑ Cahal Milmo: Fears grow as Croydon cat killer casts net more widely. The Independent , April 23, 2016, accessed April 24, 2016 .
- ↑ "Croydon Cat Killer": Police unmask domestic cat killers . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN 0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed September 21, 2018]).
- ↑ Samantha Booth: Exclusive: Police have more questions than answers in hunt for 'Croydon Cat Killer. (No longer available online.) Croydon Adviser, February 25, 2016, archived from the original on February 26, 2016 ; accessed on October 12, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Max Shirley: What can be done to stop the Croydon cat killer? The Croydon Citizen, February 1, 2016, accessed October 12, 2016 .
- ↑ Simon Usborne: The 'Croydon cat killer' hunt has lasted three grisly years. But is he man or myth? August 8, 2018, accessed September 24, 2018 .
