MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court has convicted four people who hung an effigy of Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior off a highway bridge two years ago, the league said on Monday.
The defendants were found guilty of hate crimes after hanging a black figure, with Vinícius’ name on it, in the Spanish capital before a Copa del Rey match against rival Atletico Madrid in January 2023.
Along with the effigy that was hung by its neck, there was a banner with the words “Madrid hates Real.”
A defendant who disseminated images of the act online was sentenced to 15 months in prison for a hate crime, and seven months for threats.
The other three defendants were each sentenced to seven months in prison for hate crimes and seven months for threats. The four of them must complete a training program on equal treatment and non-discrimination to have their prison sentences suspended.
All were also fined and prohibited from coming within 1,000 meters (3,200 feet) of Vinícius, his residence and Madrid's training center. They also can't get within 1,000 meters of soccer stadiums from four hours before and four hours after matches being organized by the league or the Spanish soccer federation.
They were additionally prohibited from having any form of communication with Vinícius for a period of four years from the end of the prison term.
Prosecutors had said the four people belonged to a hardcore Atletico fan group that is “ideologically identified with the extreme right.”
All defendants signed a letter of apology addressed to Vinícius, Real Madrid, the Spanish league and the Spanish federation, which led to mitigation for damage reparation.
The Spanish league was on the case as a private prosecutor.
In May, five Valladolid fans who racially insulted Vinícius in 2022 were found guilty in what the league said at the time was the first ruling in Spain that condemned racist insults in a soccer stadium as a hate crime.
Last year, three Valencia fans were handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Vinícius in a 2023 match, in what had been the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain, though it was not based on a hate crime.
The Valencia fans were convicted of a crime against moral integrity, with the aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on racist motives.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
