Two new cases involving the deaths of animals have sparked outrage and condemnation.

Disturbing footage has caused shock and outrage after a 44-year-old woman ran over a dog that was sleeping in the road in Avliotes, a village on Corfu, killing it before continuing on her way.

Security camera footage from the home of the animal’s owners shows the white car driven by the woman, who lives in the area, traveling down the narrow street. The vehicle does not appear to be speeding.

The car approaches the dog, which is lying in the middle of the road. The driver does not stop and drives over the animal, crushing it. She briefly slows down, then accelerates and drives away.

The dog struggles before dying shortly afterward. The family filed a complaint against the driver, and police located and arrested her. According to reports, she claims that she did not intend to harm the animal. She was released, and a case file was opened against her.

Another case of animal cruelty was reported on Zakynthos. In the village of Romiri, a 63-year-old woman was arrested after hanging her neighbor’s cat with a rope. The animal subsequently died from its injuries.

“Greece has one of the strictest legal frameworks”

Speaking about the two new cases of animal abuse on MEGA criminal lawyer Vassilis Chirdaris said Greece has one of the strictest legal frameworks for animal cruelty.

He said that when abuse is intentional, prison sentences of five to 10 years can be imposed, while fines can reach as much as 50,000 euros. Despite the strict penalties, he noted, cases of animal abuse continue, attributing this in part to a lack of a culture of animal care.

Psychologist and criminologist Vana Papakitsou, for her part, stressed that abusing an animal is not an “insignificant act.”

As she explained, violent behavior toward a creature that cannot defend itself may indicate a lack of empathy, protectiveness and care, while it may also be linked to aggressive tendencies. “It is an animal, yes, it is not a human being, but there is no distinction because it is a living soul,” she said.