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Vinicius Jr racism: Fans found guilty of hate crime against Madrid star

Vinicius Jr racism: Fans found guilty of hate crime against Madrid star

In a landmark first ruling in Spain to condemn racist insults in a football stadium as a hate crime, La Liga claims, five people have been given prison sentences for abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.

Vinicius, a Brazilian international, was abused as he passed past fans at the Jose Zorrilla Stadium on December 30th, 2022, in Real’s 2-0 victory over Real Valladolid.

The Provincial Court of Valladolid on Wednesday imposed fines ranging from 1, 620 euros ($1, 836), as well as 1, 080 euros ($1, 226.12), and 1, 620 euros ($1, 836) on the five offenders who have served a year in prison.

They were given a three-year prison sentence with the condition that they would not be convicted of any crime within that time and would not be permitted to play any matches while they were there.

This exemplary ruling has been achieved, La Liga said in a statement in response to the efforts of LALIGA, which filed the complaint and initially served as the only private prosecution, before being followed by the player Vinicius and Real Madrid, as well as the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

“This judicial decision marks a remarkable achievement in the fight against racism in sport in Spain,” according to the court’s decision. Until now, decisions had focused on conduct against moral conduct with a racial aggravating factor.

The court’s explicit mention of hate crimes connected to racist insults serves as a reminder that racism cannot be tolerated in sport.

On December 30, 2022, during a game between Real Valladolid and Real Valladolid’s Jose Zorrilla Stadium, the racist chants were directed at Vinicius Jr., right.

A defendant without prior convictions is rarely required to serve time in jail for nonviolent crimes that are less than two years in length in Spain.

Three Valencia fans were given eight months in prison in June for “insulting Vinicius with chants, gestures, and shouts referring to his skin color.”

A fan who racially abused Vinicius and Villarreal player Samuel Chukwueze in two games at Mallorca in 2023 was found guilty and given a suspended prison sentence in September.

Source: Aljazeera

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