A prison inmate in Germany has made a bizzare request to gainvisitation rights to see his cat, because he claims it is his dead mother.
Peter Keonig, 46, jailed for armed robberies, has gone to court demanding permission for his cat, Gisela, to visit him during the five year period in which he will serve in prison in Werl, Germany.
Being a practicing Buddhist, Keonig firmly believes in life after death through reincarnation, whether it is in human or animal form. Keonig maintained that his cat was truly the reincarnate of his dead mother, and claimed she “looks after me just the way she did”. He also added that just as inmates are allowed to see family and friends, so he should be allowed to see his cat, or mum.
Despite Keonig’s pleas and repeated requests before the court they unfortunately turned him down. They maintained the ruling, “While we respect the religious freedom of individuals, the accused has not been able to furnish proof that his deceased mother has been reborn in a cat. Therefore, the request for visiting rights for the feline is rejected.”
Although not received well by the distressed inmate, the court however tried to consolidate him by making an alternate suggestion that he could still write to his cat.
