Two Canadian Boys to Have Psych Evaluations after Microwaving Cat

A central Alberta judge is concerned about the mental health of two young boys who pleaded guilty to microwaving a cat this Thursday.  The judge fears that these boys may have underlying psychological problems that are more pressing than the need to send tens the boys before a new school year starts.

Judge Joanne Goss, stated, “I am concerned, and I have reasonable grounds… The circumstances of this offense cry out for a deeper look.”

The boys are fifteen and sixteen years old.  They pleaded guilty last month to breaking into a home twice in December and microwaving a cat to death. According into the boys in statements of facts the cat screamed in pain and it took over ten minutes to die.

Crown lawyer John Laluk stated, “Despite that time frame, the cat was not taken out of the microwave. “He told the judge at the very worst this ‘shows a conscious desire to cause an animal to suffer’.

Court lawyers defending the boys argued that sentencing should have occurred instead of this delay for a psychological assessment that the judge ordered. They state that there are concerns the fall court date could interfere with the beginning of the boy’s school year. The lawyers state that their young clients just want to get on with their lives and won’t be able to do so until they are sentenced.

A handful of animal rights protesters were outside the courthouse demanding harsher animal cruelty laws and holding up signs saying, jail time to fit the crime. Two other teens in the area are scheduled to go on trial for similar robbery and the animal cruelty charges in November. I don’t know about you but it appears that this region is developing a problem with teens causing animal abuse.

Source:   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080717.wmicrowave0717/BNStory/National/home