#trending: Authorities in China investigating attackers who forced alleged cat abuser to eat faeces and slap himself

SUZHOU, CHINA — Chinese authorities have launched an investigation into an attack on a suspected cat abuser who was allegedly tortured by a group of cat lovers after videos of his supposed abuse spread online. 

The man, identified only by his surname Lee, was apparently kicked, made to slap himself and forced to ingest faeces.

The alleged assault occurred on Feb 25 in the city of Suzhou, when a group of six individuals approached and surrounded Mr Lee at a commercial plaza after receiving a tip-off from an individual overseas. 

The unnamed individual had identified Mr Lee from videos of him purportedly abusing cats and promptly alerted several cat lovers across China about his apparent plan to adopt another kitten.

Upon meeting Mr Lee, the group hurled insults at him before taking him to a separate location where he was allegedly kicked, made to slap himself repeatedly, kneel on the floor and confess to abusing cats.

The group reportedly also smeared faeces on the man’s face and forced him to eat it. The source of the faeces is unclear although many online users believe it to be human waste.

Videos of the violent assault have been widely circulated on Chinese social media.

In one of the videos, Mr Lee admits to killing five cats as he is being held by two individuals. A third individual filming the scene can be heard cursing at him. 

The alleged assault reportedly lasted through the night.

Mr Lee, an office worker, is suspected of torturing cats which he adopts. He apparently films his abusive acts and uploads the videos online.

Some of his cats have reportedly died from the abuse. 

‘TASTE OF HIS OWN MEDICINE’

Social media users who weighed in on the incident seemed to be mostly supportive of the attack against Mr Lee.

Many claimed that the suspected cat abuser “deserved it” and should be given a “taste of his own medicine”.

One Weibo user commented: “I feel like it is fair to treat a degenerate who tortures and kills small animals with evil.”

Another wrote: “I hope that the people who beat the man will be punished lightly and that he will be severely punished for taking the cats’ lives. His behaviour is outrageous!”

In a statement released last Tuesday (Feb 28), a joint investigation team from the Wuzhong District police said they have launched a probe into the case.

The authorities said both Mr Lee and those involved in the incident would be dealt with accordingly.

Some Chinese netizens speculated that the assailants were from the Suzhou Small Animal Protection Volunteers Association (SSAPA).

However, a spokesperson for the organisation has denied any involvement, stating on Chinese social media site Weibo that it would never do something that extreme.