In April and May 2021, a series of horrific animal abuse cases took place in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. 

At least 10 community cats were discovered with gruesome slash wounds across their bodies. Many more cases have possibly gone undiscovered.

Joint efforts by the local animal welfare community, the residents, and the Singapore authorities finally resulted in the culprit, Leow Wei Liang, being apprehended in June 2021.

However, the 12-week sentence he was given hardly did justice to the numerous innocent lives who have suffered grievous pain in his hands. 

Nor did it act as any kind of deterrent against other cowards like him who seek thrill in torturing the defenceless and voiceless.

True enough, in 2024, another serial abuser Barrie Lin Pengli, was caught abusing five cats, brutally killing two of them. Unknown more have probably suffered grotesque fates under him, their cases never coming to light, their pain never finding justice...

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Our country is known for its strict laws and low crime rate.  Yet, there are people like Barrie Lin Pengli amongst us who thought they can get away with abusing innocent, harmless animals. 

Perhaps the lax enforcement attitude towards animal cruelty has given him the confidence that he will not be caught? Perhaps previous sentences given to animal abusers have assured him that, even if he does get caught, he will be let off with a light slap on the wrist?

Has our local justice system been giving animal abusers strength and courage all along?

People like Barrie Lin Pengli go around seeking out defenceless cats in a very intentional manner.  They mindfully and deliberately target small harmless animals, knowing that they are defenceless against a fully-grown man like him.  His wasn't a one-off act of rashness. His was a SERIES of calculated, premeditated, unprovoked evilness.  

It is a taunt at our justice system that someone thinks he can get away with brutally abusing defenceless beings, REPEATEDLY.

We urge the System to mete out a sentence that is proportional to the gravity of his actions.

We understand that Barrie Lin is claiming depression and mental health disorders.  We would like to caution against allowing criminals to use mental health as an excuse for their own failings.

Most people with depression and other mental health issues do not abuse animals. In fact, many seek solace and comfort in our furry friends. 

Allowing criminals to abuse the mental card is extremely unfair and disadvantaging to people with genuine mental health challenges.

We urge the Courts to be as stringent and rigorous as it would have been had the victims been human.

As members of the Singaporean public, we strongly appeal to the authorities to mete out a STRONG AND PROPORTIONATE sentence to Barrie Lin Pengli, to clearly convey the message that animal abuse is a severe crime that will not be tolerated in our country.

It is high time we set a strong precedent and an effective deterrent.

It is only when the voiceless and defenceless amongst us are given their rightful First Class Protection, that we can proudly proclaim ourselves a First World Country.