Three Valencia fans handed prison sentences over Vinicius Jr racist abuse

Spanish court convicts fans for hate crimes against the Real Madrid football player in the first conviction over racist insults.

Three Valencia football fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison for hate crimes against Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr, the first conviction for racist insults in a football stadium in Spain, a court announced.

“The ruling handed down today, which is final, establishes as proven that the three defendants insulted Vinicius with shouts, gestures and chants referring to the colour of his skin,” the court said in a statement on Monday.

“These shouts and gestures of a racist nature, consisting among other things in the repetition of the sounds and imitating the movements of monkeys, caused the footballer feelings of frustration, shame and humiliation, with the consequent undermining of his intrinsic dignity.”

In Spain, prison sentences of less than two years for non-violent crimes rarely require a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time, so the three are likely to remain free unless they commit further offences.

The three supporters, who pled guilty to the charges, were also banned from entering football stadiums for two years and ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings.