The Croydon Cat Killer (also referred to by the media as UK Cat Killer or the M25 Cat Killer) is reported to be an individual who has killed, dismembered and decapitated more than 400 cats across England, beginning in 2014 in Croydon. Reports of cat deaths attributed to the killer have since spread across and around London, and as far north as Manchester.
In 2018 the Metropolitan police stated that they are no longer looking for a cat killer, rather someone that mutilates cats that have already been killed in vehicle collisions. Some experts have expressed the opinion that the Croydon Cat Killer may be an example of a moral panic.
Video Croydon Cat Killer
Investigation
In October 2015 local group South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL) reported incidents of cat mutilation to the police and RSPCA.
In November 2015 the Metropolitan Police began to investigate the mutilations, under the name 'Operation Takahe' and led by Detective Sergeant Andy Collin.
In January 2016 it was reported that 30,000 local people signed a petition requesting the police conduct DNA testing of the corpses.
By February 2016, the deaths of 10 cats (four in Croydon and one each in Streatham, Mitcham Common, Sutton, Charlton, Peckham and Finchley) had been linked by an examining vet who wished to remain anonymous. However, the police at this time stated that the number of cases was in single digits In February 2016 it was reported that police had yet to find any evidence that the animals were deliberately killed by a human. At this time an investigating vet stated that he found raw chicken in the stomachs of several killed cats and suggested the animals had probably been lured by the killer with the offer of meat.
In March 2016, Det. Sgt. Collin said that the perpetrator might be only mutilating the corpses after the animals had already died and might only face charges relating to public order or theft. He noted that of the six cases being investigated, five of the cats had not been claimed which would make it difficult to bring charges of theft or criminal damage. As of March 2016, no human DNA had been recovered.
In April 2016 it was reported that the RSPCA believed that the deaths were due to blunt trauma, "likely consistent with being hit by a moving vehicle". SNARL claimed that the animals were killed deliberately, perhaps by being thrown against a wall. By April 2016, SNARL had recorded 50 attacks across Crystal Palace, Mitcham, Streatham, Peckham, Charlton, Richmond, Orpington, and Farnborough in south London, Finchley, Tottenham and Archway in north London, Stepney in the east, and Guildford in Surrey. SNARL reported that other animals including foxes and rabbits have been attacked in the same way.
In June 2016, SNARL speculated that there had been 100 kills following a decapitated cat being found in Morden. At this time police stated that they had spent 1,020 hours on the inquiry since December 2015.
By July 2016, the media and SNARL had begun referring to the attacker as the "M25 Cat Killer" after new reports, including a cat killed in Whyteleafe, Surrey, suggested the killer was operating around the M25 motorway. After reports of animal deaths in Maidstone, Sevenoaks and seven other locations, SNARL adopted the terms "M25 Animal Killer" and "UK Cat Killer".
In September 2017, ArroGen Veterinary Forensics began re-examining some animals to help police and RSPCA to bring prosecutions.
In October 2017 it was reported that the killer was suspected of mutilating over 370 animals. Det. Sgt. Collins stated that it was possible there were copycats.
In December 2017, police linked five cat deaths around Northampton from August to November that year to the same killer, but later police stated the Northampton deaths were not being linked to the others though a 31-year-old man had been arrested.
It was reported in August 2018 that, 3 years after the first report of the Croydon Cat Killer, no evidence relating to the individual who may be committing the mutilations had been found. There was no evidence found of clothing, human DNA or a murder weapon and no CCTV footage has been recovered.
Maps Croydon Cat Killer
Description of alleged killer
A description of the alleged killer, claimed to be from Surrey Police, was released via the local group South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL). The possible suspect was described as being a white man in his 40s with acne scars, dark clothes and short brown hair, who may be wearing a headlamp or carrying a torch. It is thought that the attacker or attackers could have worn protective clothes and gloves to avoid getting scratched by the cats. A geographic profile of earlier victims indicates the attacker may have a base in South Norwood.
Det. Sgt. Collins, speaking in 2017 about a possible motive stated stated "Cats are targeted because they are associated with the feminine... The killer can't deal with a woman or women who are troubling him" he added that he was worried that "at some stage he'll escalate or feel brave enough to move on to vulnerable women and girls." Vince Egan, associate professor of forensic psychology at the University of Nottingham has said: "In some individuals we have seen animal cruelty as part of a broader pattern in which humans are also harmed. It is far more likely that this reflects a rather more banal pattern of anti-social behaviour, such as drunkenness or something that doesn't go further. But when we have so little to go on you have to keep your mind open."
Chronology of reported killings
The following is a list of killings reported by the media that are believed to have been committed by the same individual.
- February 2016 - A decapitated kitten was found in East Dulwich.
- April 2016 - A decapitated cat was found in Kingston. In Archway a decapitated cat was found.
- June 2016 - SNARL speculated that the cat killer may have claimed the 100th kill following the discovery of a decapitated cat found in Morden.
- July 2016 - A cat was decapitated in Maidstone.
- August 2016 - The mutilated remains of a cat were found in Otford. In Bracknell a cat was found which was cut in half.
- November 2016 - The head of cat was found in a garden in Weybridge.
- February 2017 - A decapitated cat was found in New Malden, Kingston Crowborough in Sussex, and other locations.
- May 2017 - SNARL reported a fox head left in the Caterham Tesco car park, however a Caterham Tesco spokesperson said they were unaware of this.
- August 2017 - A mutilated cat was found in Caterham.
- September 2017 - In the first five days of a week in early September the killer was linked with the deaths of seven cats.
- October 2017 - Two cats were killed in Chatham and Hertfordshire.
- November 2017 - A mutilated cat was found in Welling, London.
- April 2018 - A cat was found beheaded in Walton.
- June 2018 - Two cats were found decapitated in Southampton and Bromley.
Reactions
In February 2016, the animal rights charity PETA offered a £5,000 reward (raised from an initial £2,000 in December 2015) to anyone providing information to the police that leads to the arrest and conviction of the serial cat killer (or killers).
Public figures local to Croydon such as Martin Clunes, Dermot O'Leary and Caroline Flack used their social media accounts to raise awareness of the crime in the hope it leads to an arrest. In an email to Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, actor Clunes wrote, "As someone who shares my home with several four-legged companions I read with horror that some of the cats had been decapitated, disemboweled or dismembered - this is the stuff of nightmares."
In May 2018, Vice Media released a half-hour documentary about the UK cat killer and SNARL.
Scepticism
In July 2018, Stephen Harris, retired professor of environmental sciences at the University of Bristol, who had studied fox behaviour for 50 years wrote an article in New Scientist. He asserted that there is no "killer" and the pattern of blunt-force trauma followed by removal of the head and tail once the blood has congealed is consistent with road traffic accidents then scavenging by foxes. In the 1990s there was a similar panic following the discovery of dozens of cat deaths in Greater London. The RSPCA sought Harris's advice at this time. The same events led to the Metropolitan police opening Operation Obelisk in 1998. However, they quietly dropped the case in 1999 after Harris inspected several cats. He concluded that they had been killed by cars and mutilated by foxes. Harris stated; "We have known for decades that foxes chew the head or tail off carcasses, including dead cats,"
Parallels have been drawn between the Croydon Cat Killer and moral panics, in which public fear and lurid headlines amplify perceptions of danger which puts pressure on authorities to act. Richard Ward, lecturer and historian of crime and the reporting of crime at the University of Exeter has stated that the creation of Operation Takahe appears to be the result of such a moral panic.
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
0 Comments