Port Lincoln animal cruelty incident
The Port Lincoln animal cruelty incident refers to events on 25 March 2025, in which 21-year-old Gracie Giblin was filmed throwing the bodies of a kitten and a rabbit into the ocean at the Port Lincoln wharf in South Australia. Videos of the incident, showing Giblin laughing while swinging the animals, were posted on social media, sparking widespread public outrage and a joint investigation by SA Police and RSPCA South Australia.[1]
| Port Lincoln animal cruelty incident | |
|---|---|
|
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| Key Details | |
| Location | Port Lincoln wharf, Port Lincoln, South Australia, Australia |
| Species Involved | Cats, rabbits |
| Type of Abuse | Physical harm |
| Timeline | |
| Date of Incident | March 25, 2025 |
| Date Discovered | March 26, 2025 |
| Date Closed | — |
| Status & Outcome | |
| Case Status | Under investigation by South Australia Police and RSPCA South Australia |
| Perpetrator | Gracie Giblin |
| Aftermath | Online outrage and condemnation, public demand for legal action |
| Person of Interest | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Name | Gracie Giblin |
| Age | 21 (at time of incident) |
| Occupation | Dance teacher and qualified childcare worker |
| Known Identifiers | |
| Status | Person of interest spoken to by police; taken to hospital for assessment |
| Involvement | Filmed swinging a kitten by its tail and throwing it into the water at Port Lincoln wharf. |
| Punitive Measure | Under investigation |
The investigation led to Giblin being charged with ill-treatment of an animal. She subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Port Lincoln Magistrates Court.[2]
Incident
On the evening of 25 March 2025, Gracie Giblin was filmed at the Port Lincoln wharf with the carcasses of a kitten and a rabbit, which she claimed to have hit with her car earlier.[1] According to a witness account reported by the Daily Mail, Giblin first threw the rabbit, which was in a supermarket bag, into the water. She then drove off, returned minutes later yelling that she had hit a cat, and then reappeared swinging the tabby kitten by its tail from her car window before throwing it into the harbour as well.[1]
The incidents were recorded by bystanders. After the videos circulated locally, volunteers from the "Making a Difference Cat Rescue" group attended the scene and recovered the bodies of the kitten and a baby rabbit from the water.[1]
- The bodies of the rabbit and cat recovered from the water:
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Public reaction and identification
The footage was quickly shared across social media platforms, leading to intense public condemnation. Giblin was widely identified online as the person in the video, with many posts highlighting her occupation as a dance teacher and qualified childcare worker.[3] An online petition on Change.org calling for legal action garnered tens of thousands of signatures.[4] The story was picked up by national and international news outlets, including the New York Post.[5]
Investigation and legal outcome
Following the incident, SA Police located Giblin and took her to a hospital for assessment.[6] RSPCA South Australia seized the animals' bodies for post-mortem examinations. While the autopsies confirmed the animals were deceased before being thrown into the water, the RSPCA proceeded with charges based on the public and "disrespectful" treatment of the bodies.[7]
In May 2025, Giblin was formally charged with two counts of ill-treatment of an animal under South Australia's Animal Welfare Act 1985.[7]
On 15 July 2025, Giblin pleaded guilty in the Port Lincoln Magistrates Court. Her lawyer argued that she was intoxicated at the time and had shown significant remorse. The magistrate described her actions as "disgraceful, callous and extraordinarily disrespectful." Giblin was sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour bond without conviction, banned from owning any animal for two years, and ordered to pay $680 in veterinary and legal fees.[2]
References
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 (26 March 2025). "Gracie Giblin: Disturbing footage shows dance teacher and childcare worker swinging a tiny tabby cat by the tail before launching it into the ocean in Port Lincoln", Daily Mail. Retrieved 23 September 2025from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14541945/Gracie-Giblin-cat-cruelty-port-lincoln.html
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 (15 July 2025). "Port Lincoln woman sentenced for 'callous' animal cruelty incident at wharf", ABC News. Retrieved 23 September 2025from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-15/gracie-giblin-port-lincoln-court-animal-cruelty/104622918
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 (26 March 2025). "Port Lincoln woman throws dead kitten in harbour", news.com.au. Retrieved 23 September 2025from https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/traumatising-woman-throws-dead-kitten-in-harbour-after-animal-was-run-over/news-story/3434b20ef430ffd8d3c1eb7f22eded06
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 (28 March 2025). "Demand Legal Action for Tabby Kitten Thrown into Ocean by Gracie Giblin", Change.org. Retrieved 23 September 2025from https://www.change.org/p/demand-legal-action-for-tabby-kitten-thrown-into-ocean-by-gracie-giblin
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 (26 March 2025). "Woman throws dead kitten by its tail into harbor after animal was run over: ‘Traumatizing’", New York Post. Retrieved 23 September 2025from https://nypost.com/2025/03/26/lifestyle/woman-throws-dead-kitten-by-its-tail-into-harbor-after-animal-was-run-over-traumatizing/
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 (26 March 2025). "Disturbing video emerges as woman allegedly tortures kitten", The Advertiser (adelaidenow). Retrieved 23 September 2025from https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/port-lincoln/a-port-lincoln-woman-has-been-taken-to-hospital-for-assessment-after-video-emerged-of-her-throwing-a-dead-kitten-into-the-water/news-story/7d91ed531c90a96fc8d4bf1390bf66b3
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 (15 May 2025). "Port Lincoln Woman Charged Following Wharf Incident", RSPCA South Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2025from https://www.rspcasa.org.au/port-lincoln-woman-charged-animal-cruelty/
- ↑ (26 March 2025). "GRACIE GIBLIN - Port Lincoln, SA (community Facebook post)", Facebook. Retrieved 23 September 2025from [[可疑链接已删除] [可疑链接已删除]]