Five Fans Get Suspended Jail Terms for Racist Abuse of Vinicius Jr
By Gyang Dakwo
Five people have been given suspended prison sentences for racially abusing Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr during a football match. This is the first time in Spain that a court has ruled racist insults in a stadium are a hate crime.
The abuse happened on December 30, 2022, during Real Madrid’s 2-0 away win over Real Valladolid. Vinicius, a Brazilian international, was walking past fans at the Jose Zorrilla Stadium after being substituted when he was targeted with racist insults.
On Wednesday, the Provincial Court of Valladolid sentenced the five fans to one year in prison. They also received fines between 1,080 euros (about 1,226 US dollars) and 1,620 euros (about 1,836 US dollars). However, the prison time is suspended, meaning they will not go to jail unless they commit another crime within the next three years. During that time, they are also banned from attending any football matches.
La Liga, which first filed the complaint and acted as the only private prosecutor in the beginning, welcomed the decision. The league was later joined by Vinicius, Real Madrid, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
La Liga said in a statement, “Thanks to the efforts of LALIGA, this strong and clear ruling has been achieved. It shows that racism and hate have no place in football.”
In Spain, prison sentences of less than two years for nonviolent crimes are usually suspended if the person has no previous convictions.
This is not the first time Vinicius has been targeted. In June, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for making racist shouts and gestures at him. In another case in September, a fan who racially abused both Vinicius and Villarreal player Samuel Chukwueze in two games was also found guilty and given a suspended sentence.
