Public shaming is bad (except when it’s not)

Immediately adjacent to that deep corner in hell reserved for those who prey on children for sexual purposes (and for those in Alabama and the White House who defend them), one hopes there is a spot for those guilty of animal cruelty. In Prince George, Biggie the cat was returned to his owner in College Heights this week after enduring more than two weeks away from home, where he was taken out to Blackburn, shot multiple times with a pellet gun and left to die.

Biggie’s owner Nicole Crandell is seeking the public’s help to find the twisted individuals responsible for torturing her pet.

The SPCA has opened a file on Biggie’s case and the RCMP will be involved if suspects are identified because of the animal cruelty provisions under the Criminal Code.

The Citizen’s promise to you, Nicole, and to our readers: if the culprits are found and charges are laid, their names will appear on the front page of this newspaper, on the top of our website and will be shared on our social media channels. If we find photographs of the individuals, either in our archives or on social media, we will include pictures to go with the names.

Furthermore, when the case comes before the courts, we will cover it thoroughly and prominently display those stories, as well.

While we generally don’t condone public shaming, we’re happy to make exceptions for those charged and convicted of animal cruelty or child pornography. Last year, when The Citizen ran a front-page story about a man convicted of child pornography, we included a photograph from his Facebook page. A relative of the man emailed us to say he would let the man’s lawyer know about what we had done.

Our response: fill your boots, buddy.

Photos posted by an individual on their social media channel is in the public domain. It is no longer private property and, unless it was shot by a professional photographer or the image has corporate ownership, it is not copyright protected.

Plus, there’s also that part in the constitution about fundamental freedoms in Canada, of which “freedom of the press” is named.

Sadly, Biggie the cat has a similar story as his feline cousin, Gigi, in Duncan.

Joshua Michael Lemire, 20, has been charged with causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal, along with a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named under the Young Offenders Act. They are accused of shaving and drugging Gigi, then sending Snapchat videos to Gigi’s 16-yearold owner before abandoning the animal in the freezing rain.

A search party made up of concerned residents found Gigi on Tuesday night, according to a story in The Citizen’s sister paper, the Victoria Times Colonist.

“The cat’s fur was shaved and discoloured with possible bleach spots,” the story read.

“The numbers ‘666’ and ‘my cat’ were written in black marker on each ear.”

Gigi is recovering but the veterinarian treating her said the drugs could have killed her.

Hearing about cases like Biggie and Gigi makes the blood of any decent person boil.

In Gigi’s case, Vancouver Island RCMP explicitly informed the public that vigilante behaviour will not be tolerated, least of all because it can hamper investigations and damage evidence.

In other words, please leave the job of catching and punishing the guilty to the professionals. While open to public shaming, we strongly oppose any kind of vigilante response to child pornographers or those who torture animals.

The power individual citizens do have, however, is public shaming and now social media provides a platform for people to share their outrage. Unfortunately, too many people just take to social media to complain about crappy customer service or a bad driver who cut them off.

Folks, please save your righteous indignation for those who really deserve it – the sick people who have been charged and convicted with preying on children or animals for kicks. Please don’t publish rumours about people. Stick to linking to stories from reliable news outlets about these individuals, then share them and encourage your social network to do the same.

Thankfully, both Biggie and Gigi survived their attacks.

Public shaming and lifelong disgrace (thanks to Google searches of their names) are fitting forms of punishments for the pain these wicked individuals cause.

Neither Biggie or Gigi comprehend justice but that doesn’t mean they aren’t deserving of it.

Folks, please save your righteous indignation for those who really deserve it – the sick people who have been charged and convicted with preying on children or animals for kicks. Please don’t publish rumours about people.

— Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout