# Did the cast of "The Lady in the House" abuse cats? Those who spread rumors have been sentenced
[4] Compiled from: Red Star News
Case review
In November 2021, a scene in the period drama "The Lady in the House" sparked online controversy: a white cat fell from a table, spat blood, and died on the spot.
A person claiming to be a crew member of "The Lady in the House" on Weibo, surnamed Liu, alleged that the crew, seeking realistic effects, turned fiction into reality by injecting the cat with an unknown liquid four to five times, poisoning the "white cat actor." In December 2021, the relevant film company reported the case to the Dongyang City Public Security Bureau in Zhejiang Province.
After the case was transferred to the Dongyang City People's Procuratorate in Zhejiang Province, the presiding prosecutor found the cat's owner and, based on feature comparisons and witness testimony, confirmed that the "cat in question" was filming with another crew.
[1] After the "cat involved" was found, Liu's dissemination of false information and serious disruption of public order was confirmed. In March 2022, the Dongyang City Procuratorate in Zhejiang Province filed a public prosecution against Liu for suspected provocation and trouble-making. In May of the same year, the court sentenced Liu to seven months in prison, and the verdict has now taken effect.
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[1] The People's Republic of China
刑法》
Article 293 [Crime of Picking Quarrels and Provoking Trouble]
Whoever commits any of the following acts of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, thereby disrupting social order, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years, criminal detention or public surveillance:
(1) Beating another person at will, if the circumstances are flagrant;
(2) Chasing, intercepting, verbally abusing or intimidating another person, if the circumstances are flagrant;
(3) Forcibly taking or demanding, or willfully damaging or occupying public or private property, if the circumstances are serious;
(4) Creating disturbances in public places, causing severe disorder in public places.
Whoever gathers others to repeatedly commit the acts mentioned in the preceding paragraph, seriously disrupting social order, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years, and may also be fined.
[1] The author's perspective
[2] In today's society, we always emphasize human rights but forget that animals are also living beings, and their lives should not be subject to human will. While paying attention to the safety management of film props in daily work, the crew should also strengthen the safety and protection of animals, properly handle online public opinion, and improve the quality of extras.
[3] In addition, relevant departments should not slack off. They should work with local public security agencies and film crew service companies to regulate special props such as knives, documents, and RMB. A standardized management system for these special props should be established to ensure there are laws to follow in future law enforcement and to set standards for the film industry to implement.
