A Madrid court has handed suspended jail sentences to four people in a hate crime related to an effigy of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior on Monday.
The preparators were involved in hanging a banner reading “Madrid hates Real” and an inflatable black effigy in a replica of the Brazilian’s No. 20 shirt on a bridge before a Copa del Rey match against Atletico Madrid in January 2023.
As reported by Reuters, one defendant was sentenced to 15 months in prison for a hate crime and an additional seven months for making threats, having distributed images of the act online. The other three were sentenced to seven months in prison for hate crimes and seven months for threats. They will not serve prison time, however, after all four signed a letter of apology to Vinicius, Real Madrid, LaLiga and the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF).
“The defendant who posted the video online received a special disqualification from working in education, sports, or recreational youth settings for four years and three months, while the others received three years and seven months,” the LaLiga statement said.
The defendants were fined monetarily as the first defendant was fined 1,084 euros ($1,250) and the other three were fined 720 euros. They were also handed a restraining order from Vinicius, his home and workplace, and a ban on approaching football stadiums during LaLiga or RFEF matches.
They will all be required to participate in an educational programme on equal treatment and non-discrimination in order for the prison sentences imposed to be suspended. There was no immediate confirmation from the court and no immediate reaction from Vinicius.
The Brazilian forward has been a constant target of racial insults in the LaLiga with many incidents reported by him in the past two years.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
