A Nigerian migrant was arrested in Sarzana, northern Italy, on April 15 after local residents witnessed him killing and cooking a cat on a makeshift barbecue at Crociata Park, directly beside a children’s playground, triggering widespread public outrage and animal cruelty charges.
Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called the act “heinous” that must not go unpunished.”
Cops raced to the park after receiving multiple horrified phone calls about a man, identified as a Nigerian migrant, who said he was hungry.
In photos from the scene, the man can be seen crouching above a makeshift grill. A colourful children’s slide can be seen just feet away from where the man is poking the fire with a stick.
A Nigerian immigrant has been arrested in the Italian town of Sarzana, south of Genoa, after being caught killing and cooking a cat on a makeshift barbecue in a public park adjacent to a children’s playground on April 15, 2026. Police were notified by local residents who reported seeing the man barbecuing the animal on a grate in Crociata Park. It remains unclear whether the cat was a stray or belonged to someone as a pet. Authorities said the man was taken into custody and charged with animal cruelty.
The incident rapidly spread across Italian social media, drawing fierce condemnation from local officials. Sarzana’s Administrative Officer and Security Councillor Stefano Torri stated: “What happened this afternoon in Crociata Park is an atrocious act that cannot and should not have a place in a civilised society,” adding: “We will not allow anyone to come into our territory to import sick and barbaric customs. Those living in our country have a duty to respect our laws and our sensitivity towards animals. We won’t tolerate our land being turned into a theatre of the uncivilised by those who have no respect for the rules of civil life.”