MADRID — A Spanish court reached a verdict against four individuals accused of hanging an effigy of Real Madrid player Vinícius Júnior from a highway bridge, an incident that occurred two years ago. Labels of hate crimes were used to convict them after they displayed a black effigy with the athlete’s name in the capital prior to a Copa del Rey game against Atletico Madrid in January 2023.
The court found that a menacing banner reading “Madrid hates Real” accompanied the effigy, which had been displayed hanging by its neck. As a result of these actions, one of the defendants, who further distributed images of this act on the internet, received a 15-month jail sentence for a hate crime in addition to a seven-month sentence for issuing threats.
The remaining three defendants were also sentenced to seven months each for hate crimes in conjunction with seven additional months for threats. All four were ordered to participate in a program centered on equal treatment and non-discrimination, a prerequisite for suspending their respective prison terms.
The convicts also face significant penalties, which include financial fines and strict prohibitions. They are barred from approaching Vinícius, his residence, and Madrid’s training facilities, maintaining a mandatory distance of no less than 1,000 meters (roughly 3,200 feet). Additionally, the ruling prevents them from entering soccer stadium vicinities from four hours prior to, and following, any league or Spanish soccer federation event. Communication of any kind with Vinícius is forbidden for four years following the conclusion of their jail sentences.
The prosecution argued that the defendants were part of a radical Atletico Madrid fan group with leanings towards extreme right-wing ideologies. Following the incident, all defendants expressed remorse in an apology letter directed to Vinícius, Real Madrid, the Spanish league, and the national federation, a gesture that played a role in reducing their penalties as form of damage reparation.
The Spanish league actively pursued the case as a private party. The issue of racial abuse in football has seen similar judicial actions. Back in May, five Valladolid fans were convicted of racially abusing Vinícius in 2022, marking a precedent as Spain’s inaugural hate crime verdict for racist taunts directed at a soccer stadium.
In a separate case last year, three Valencia supporters received eight-month jail terms upon admitting to racially abusing Vinícius during a 2023 match. This case became the first in Spain to secure racism-related convictions within professional soccer, although not directly tied to hate crimes but rather a breach of moral integrity aggravated by racial prejudice.