Newsroom
Three people were arraigned on Friday before the Famagusta District Court in connection with the disturbing case of a kangaroo being butchered in an apartment parking lot. The court set May 23 as the date for the hearing, while police are still searching for two other suspects believed to be involved.
The three accused include a 36-year-old man who was allegedly caught in the act of cutting up the kangaroo, a 54-year-old man who worked as an animal caretaker at the premises, and a 55-year-old woman who owns the property. The court ordered that the 36-year-old remain in custody, while the other two were released on bail.
Police say the 36-year-old is also facing immigration-related charges, as his asylum request was denied in 2022 and he has been living in the Republic illegally.
Authorities are still trying to locate two other individuals. One is believed to have been with the 36-year-old during the incident but managed to flee before officers arrived. The other is suspected of helping transport the animal to the location where it was slaughtered, which was a residential parking lot in the Famagusta district.
The case dates back to May 7, when police received a tip-off that two people were cutting up an animal in a parking area. Officers from the Deryneia Police Station rushed to the scene, where they found the 36-year-old man and several plastic bags containing chopped-up animal parts. Also found at the scene were an axe and five knives.
The man reportedly told officers that the animal was a kangaroo and claimed he had received it from someone in the Paralimni area.
All five individuals are being investigated for violating the Animal Protection and Welfare Act in a case that has shocked the public and drawn widespread condemnation.
