"Why Feed Stray Cats?" Visually Impaired Person Assaulted by Man in His 60s Sentenced to Prison

A man in his 60s was sentenced to prison for violently assaulting a visually impaired person simply because he was feeding stray cats.

On the 14th, the Criminal Division 7 of Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam announced that it had sentenced Mr. A, a man in his 60s, to six months in prison on charges of violating the Disabled Welfare Act.

According to the court, last May, Mr. A had an argument with Mr. B, a visually impaired resident of the same apartment complex in Changwon City, over feeding stray cats on the apartment’s roadside.

Changwon District Court, Gyeongnam.
Photo by Se-ryeong Lee

Mr. A said, “You can’t see, yet you’re feeding cats,” and “Aren’t you lying about being blind?” before pushing Mr. B down and repeatedly assaulting him with punches and kicks.

During the assault, Mr. B sustained injuries requiring about 42 days of medical treatment.

During the trial, Mr. A claimed he did not know that Mr. B was visually impaired.

The court stated, “At the time, Mr. B was holding a cane for the visually impaired, and his behavior and eye movements in court clearly indicated that anyone could easily recognize he was visually impaired.”

It added, “Mr. A has been criminally punished multiple times for similar violent offenses, and Mr. B still wishes to pursue punishment. Considering the severity of the injuries caused by assaulting a visually impaired person, the culpability is very serious,” explaining the reasons for the sentencing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.