A man who kicked a dog at a protest in 2021 was today found guilty of committing an act of animal cruelty after being successfully prosecuted by RSPCA Victoria.
RSPCA Victoria is pleased with the outcome from today's successful prosecution of Stipo Cicak, a 41-year-old man, who kicked a dog at a protest held on Elizabeth Street in Melbourne on the 20th September 2021. Heard in the Melbourne Magistrate's Court, the Magistrate found that the kick was delivered with force and was unprovoked.
The incident was captured on smartphone by witnesses and many concerned Victorians reported details to RSPCA Victoria's Inspectorate, which is authorised to enforce Victoria's animal cruelty legislation.
The accused was found guilty under Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (POCTAA) of committing an act of cruelty toward an animal.
RSPCA Victoria Chief Inspector Michael Stagg said RSPCA's prosecution of the case sends a powerful message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated.
"Many people witnessed the unprovoked attack on a dog, a deliberate act of cruelty, and were outraged by what they saw, so we are very pleased that the court has found the offender guilty today.
"Cruelty to animals has no place in our civilised society - animals cannot speak for themselves, so RSPCA Victoria's Inspectorate work hard each and every day to investigate and prosecute people who are cruel to animals to ensure that they are held to account."
The accused entered a plea of not guilty to one charge of animal cruelty on the grounds that he was defending himself against the dog in question. However, Magistrate Peter Reardon found Mr Cicak guilty of the charge, noting that Mr Cicak displayed aggression towards the dog and kicked the dog with force. Magistrate Reardon further found that Mr Cicak appeared angry throughout the incident, while the dog in question appeared to be non-aggressive and fearful. He found that the act of cruelty committed on the dog by Mr Cicak was unprovoked.
"Every incident of animal cruelty is serious, and the Victorian public are the RSPCA's eyes and ears when it comes to these matters. We encourage anyone with information about any animal cruelty to make a report to the RSPCA. All matters reported by the public are investigated swiftly and we are committed to holding offenders to account" Mr Stagg said.
Mr Cicak will be sentenced on the 29th of November
