Libya News 24
Three Valencia soccer fans were sentenced to eight months in prison on Monday for hate crimes against Real Madrid’s Brazilian player Vinicius Junior, a Spanish court said, the first conviction for racist insults in a soccer stadium in Spain.
The Valencia court said in a statement: “The ruling issued today, which is final, proves that the three defendants insulted Vinicius with shouts, gestures and chants in reference to the color of his skin.”
She added: “These shouts and gestures of a racist nature, which include, among other things, repeating sounds and imitating the movements of monkeys, caused the football player to feel frustrated, ashamed and humiliated, with the consequent undermining of his inherent dignity.”
In Spain, prison sentences of less than two years for non-violent crimes rarely require a defendant with no previous convictions to serve a prison sentence, so the three are likely to remain free unless they commit further crimes.
The three fans, who pleaded guilty to the charges, were banned from football stadiums for two years and ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings.
Commenting on the ruling, Vinicius said: “Many asked me to ignore it, others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just play football, but, as I have always said, I am not a victim of racism, I am the tormentor of racists.”
He added, in a statement on social media: “This is the first criminal conviction in the history of Spain, not for me, but for all black people.”
He continued: “Let other racists be afraid, ashamed, and hide in the shadows, otherwise I will be here to gather my strength. Thank you to the Spanish League and Real Madrid for helping to bring about this historic condemnation. There is more to come.”
The incidents occurred at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia in May last year, when racist insults were directed at Vinicius during a league match.
This led to an outpouring of support for the Brazilian striker and prompted a series of local and international campaigns, including the creation of FIFA’s player-led anti-racism committee.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement on Instagram: “I am pleased to see the strict action and judgment taken by the Spanish authorities regarding the racist abuse directed at Vinicius Junior in a Spanish League match in May 2023.”
He added: “This is a positive step. Our message is clear to people anywhere in the world who still behave in a racist manner when dealing with football: We do not want you.”
“These people must be excluded, they are not part of our society and they are not part of football,” Infantino said.
Spanish League President Javier Tebas said in a statement: “This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain because it repairs the damage done to Vinicius Junior and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to insult the Spanish League.”
He added: “We will identify them and report them and there will be criminal consequences for them,” explaining that the defendants read, during the hearing, a letter of apology to Vinicius Junior, the Spanish League and Real Madrid.
For its part, Real Madrid, in a statement, said that the accused expressed their repentance and in their letter asked the fans to “remove all traces of racism and intolerance from sports competitions.”
The club added: “Real Madrid, which together with Vinicius Junior acted as special prosecutor in these proceedings, will continue to work to protect the values of our club and eliminate any racist behavior in the world of football and sports.”
#Spanish #court #justice #Vinicius #racism #case
2024-06-29 20:19:46