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None of them will serve prison time as all four signed a letter of apology addressed to Vinicius, Real Madrid, LaLiga, and the Spanish football federation (RFEF).
Vinicius Jr (Image: AP)
Four individuals have received suspended jail sentences from a Madrid Court after being convicted of a hate crime involving an effigy of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, as announced by Spain’s LaLiga on Monday.
These individuals were involved in displaying a banner that read “Madrid hates Real” and an inflatable black effigy dressed in a replica of the Brazilian player’s No. 20 shirt on a bridge before a Copa del Rey match against Atletico Madrid in January 2023.
Atletico fans have hung a Vinicius Jr effigy from a bridge in the city of Madrida banner that read: ‘Madrid hates Real Madrid’
The inflatable doll, donning a Vinicius Jr shirt, appeared under one of the bridges in the Spanish capital on Thursday pic.twitter.com/2TUD2Knrit
— Lilian Chan (@bestgug) January 26, 2023
According to the court ruling, 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 individuals each received a seven-month prison sentence for hate crimes and seven months for making threats.
However, none of them will serve prison time as all four signed a letter of apology addressed to Vinicius, Real Madrid, LaLiga, and the Spanish football federation (RFEF).
The LaLiga statement noted that 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 other three were disqualified for three years and seven months.
The first defendant was fined 1,084 euros ($1,250), while the other three were fined 720 euros each. Additional punishments included a restraining order requiring them to stay at least 1,000 meters away from Vinicius, his home, and workplace, and a ban on approaching football stadiums during LaLiga or RFEF matches.
All four individuals are required to participate in an educational programme on equal treatment and non-discrimination for the prison sentences to be suspended.
There was no immediate confirmation from the court or reaction from Vinicius.
(with agency inputs)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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