Outrage is OK, vigilantism is not.
That’s the message from a Vancouver Island woman who said her daughter received social media messages that showed their family cat being abused.
But Haglund says the online backlash against the suspects has gone too far.
Their calico cat named Gigi was drugged, shaved and thrown out a window, according to Haglund. Video of the abuse was then sent to her teenage daughter via Snapchat.
Twenty-year-old Joshua Michael Lemire, along with a 17-year-old male and a 16-year-old female, have been charged with causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal.
Before they were formally charged, the identities of the two teens were shared online and all three suspects have been subject to public shaming and death threats online.
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As outrage grew, comments saying things like the alleged abusers should die or be tortured started popping up on social media sites like Facebook.
Lawyer Michael Mulligan reviewed some of the online comments and said some of what he read crossed the line into criminal behaviour punishable by up to two years in jail.
WATCH: More postings of animal abuse on social media
“Some of the comments which were posted were threats, which would be criminal,” he said. “It was also clear that people were publishing the identity of the young people involved and that’s also criminal conduct.”
North Cowichan RCMP are investigating and warn that vigilantism won’t be tolerated. They also said charges, including criminal harassment and uttering threats, are being considered.
Haglund said such online threats are counterproductive.
“This needs to stop,” she said. “We want to move forward. We want love to prevail.”
Gigi is expected to make a full recovery.
— With files from Neetu Garcha and Amy Judd
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