Four Atletico ultras get suspended jail for Vinicius effigy
Vinicius has been the target of numerous racist incidents since arriving in Madrid in 2018 (OSCAR DEL POZO)
Four Atletico Madrid ultras have been handed suspended jail sentences for hanging a dummy of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior from a bridge in what police deemed a "hate crime", judicial sources said on Monday.
A dark-skinned effigy wearing the Brazil forward's jersey was hung by the neck from a highway bridge near Real Madrid's training ground in January 2023 ahead of the club's match against Atletico.
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Police in May 2023 arrested four men -- all of them members of Frente Atletico, one of Atletico Madrid's ultra fan groups -- who were suspected of being responsible.
Under a plea deal with the prosecution which still must be confirmed by a court, the four pleaded guilty to the crimes of making threats against the player and infringing his fundamental rights, the judicial sources said.
Three of the men accepted a sentence of 14 months, while one was given a 22-month sentence for also distributing images of the act online.
The four will not serve jail time since in Spain it is customary for those sentenced to under two years for non-violent crimes to have their sentence suspended if they have no criminal record.
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Public prosecutors had asked they each be slapped with a four-year jail term.
The four have signed a letter of apology addressed to Vinicius, Real Madrid, La Liga and the Spanish football federation, and will be required to complete a training programme on equal treatment and non-discrimination, La Liga said in a statement.
They were also fined and barred from coming within 1,000 metres of the Brazilian player or any stadium for more than five years, the statement added.
"This ruling marks a strong step forward in the fight against hate and discrimination in sport," La Liga said, noting it had filed the original complaint following the incidents.
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Real Madrid welcomed the ruling, saying in a separate statement the four bring to 14 the total number of people convicted for racist attacks against their players.
The club pledged to continue efforts to "eradicate any racist behaviour in the world of football".
The black Brazilian forward, who testified via videoconference in the case last month, has been the target of numerous racist incidents since arriving in Madrid in 2018, sparking public outrage and resulting in several court convictions.
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