Idman.biz
The criminal case initiated against a season ticket holder sitting in sector 5 of the "Mestalya" stadium of the Spanish club "Valencia" for using racist and homophobic expressions against football players for more than a year has been accelerated.
Idman.Biz reports that the issue is already being investigated in two directions: through the prosecutor's office and within the framework of the club's internal disciplinary process.
Documents and audio files are currently being investigated by the Prosecutor's Office. If the statements are assessed as a hate crime (Article 510 of the Spanish Criminal Code) or a crime against moral integrity, the case will be transferred to an independent court for investigation. If the court confirms that the crime has been proven, the fan may face imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years, as well as a fine calculated according to his income. The penalty is more severe for crimes against moral integrity, and additional measures such as a "no-approach order" may also be applied.
The "Valencia" club has also opened a disciplinary case regarding the incident. The club has the authority to cancel the membership of the 5th sector fan and his brother, who participated in the insults, and remove them from the stadium. These measures can be applied regardless of the court's decision.
The club is already checking video footage of recent games, including footage of the match against Betis.
For more than 15 months, the fan has been making serious insults against dark-skinned, South American and Basque football players at every game. The rudeness of the expressions is clearly visible in the audio recordings.
Decisions made in Spanish football over the past year confirm the strict line against hate crimes:
• In June 2024, the Valencia court sentenced 3 fans to 8 months in prison and a 2-year ban from entering stadiums for racist insults against Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior.
• The Barcelona High Court sentenced an Espanyol fan to 1 year in prison, a fine of 1080 euros, a 4-year ban from working in the sports field, and a 2-year ban from stadiums for primate gestures against Inyaki Uilliams.
