A Spanish court has convicted four individuals who hung an effigy of Real Madrid soccer star Vinicius Junior from a highway bridge in Madrid in January 2023, finding them guilty of hate crimes and threats. The defendants, who belonged to a hardcore Atletico Madrid fan group identified with the extreme right, hung a black figure bearing Vinicius name before a Copa del Rey match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
The main perpetrator, who shared images of the incident online, received a 15-month prison sentence for hate crimes and an additional seven months for threats. The other three defendants were each sentenced to seven months for hate crimes and seven months for threats.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! All four defendants must complete a training program on equal treatment and non-discrimination to have their prison sentences suspended. They were also fined and face restrictions on their movements.
The court ordered the defendants to maintain a distance of at least 1,000 meters from Vinicius, his residence, and Madrid's training center. They are also banned from approaching football stadiums within four hours before and after matches organized by the league or Spanish soccer federation.
The defendants are prohibited from communicating with Vinicius for four years following their prison terms. They signed apology letters addressed to Vinicius, Real Madrid, the Spanish league, and the Spanish federation, which led to reduced sentences.
The Spanish league acted as a private prosecutor in the case. This conviction follows other recent legal actions against racism in Spanish soccer.
In May, five Valladolid fans were found guilty of racially insulting Vinicius in 2022, marking Spain's first ruling that condemned racist insults in a soccer stadium as a hate crime.
Three Valencia fans received eight-month prison sentences in 2023 after pleading guilty to racially insulting Vinicius. This case was Spain's first conviction for racism in professional soccer, though it was not classified as a hate crime.
The Valencia supporters were convicted of a crime against moral integrity, with racism cited as an aggravating circumstance.
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