Spanish prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a four-year jail terms for four men arrested on suspicion of hanging a dummy of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior from a bridge in January.
The dummy wearing the Brazilian international’s jersey was hung by the neck from a highway bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground on January 26 ahead of the club’s match against Atletico Madrid.
A banner in the red and white colours of Atletico bearing the message “Madrid hates Real” was also draped over the bridge.
Police in May arrested four men who they believe put up the dummy, an act officers deemed a “hate crime”.
Prosecutors on Tuesday accused the four men — all of them members of Frente Atletico, one of Atletico Madrid’s ultra fans groups — of making threats against the player and infringing his fundamental rights and asked that they each be slapped with a four-year jail term
Vinicius Junior, who is black, has been repeatedly racially abused in Spain.
He complained of racist abuse at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium in May, earning worldwide support after he faced off with a supporter he said had verbally abused him in the stands.
The 23-year-old testified before a Spanish court on October 5 by videoconference as part of an investigation into the alleged abuse in Valencia.
Source: Barron’s
