“I think that Atleti could do more to put an end to this scourge”

Esteban Ibarra It is an indisputable benchmark in the fight against racism and xenophobia in our country for more than 30 years. President of the Movement Against Intolerance and Secretary General of the Council of Victims of Hate Crimeshas filed a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office for alleged racist hate crime against Vinicius as a result of the events that occurred with the banner and the doll

– How do you rate what happened?

– It is an act of hatred or racial intolerance against Vinicius but also incitement to violence because hanging an animal doll that symbolizes this player encourages rejection and violence. The same happens with the banner, which also damages the moral integrity of Real Madrid supporters. That is why we have denounced it, so that this type of behavior does not spread to other places, which would be bad pedagogy.

– What path can your complaint take?

– It is the point from which the Prosecutor’s Office can intervene and open investigative proceedings if it deems it appropriate. We would like that to be the case and that the police investigation would find those responsible. It would be something very positive because there is a certain feeling of impunity in the field of football and that should not continue. Soccer has suffered confrontations and tragedies and the message is that neither soccer nor society want this.

– What kind of punishment could be applied to the culprits if they are located?

– A minimum of two years in prison is typified, although this does not mean that they go to jail. They can also be penalized financially, but this has another scope that is not strictly that of the law. In the case of citizen security, it is a criminal offense against fundamental freedoms and rights because it damages the dignity of the person and this is made explicit, in the reform of the penal code of 2015, as an essential legal right to protect in matters of hate crimes. .

– The complaint for the racist shouting against Vinicius in the Metropolitan was recently filed. Were you disappointed?

Read Also:  AUS vs NZ: After Cameron Green's knock, the bowlers tightened their grip, the New Zealand team was in trouble

– Yes, although the fault does not lie with the Prosecutor’s Office, but rather that the investigation did not identify anyone. This is not good. It is desirable to bring those responsible before a judge. In the case of the doll, I think there are sufficient mechanisms for the police to identify the group that has made it because a banner like this is not put up by a single person.

– Do you think this is an isolated event or is it a worrying trend?

– It is not isolated because there is a dynamic of scandalous continuity in football with monkey screams, the throwing of bananas,… Therefore, it is not an isolated episode but a product of the subculture of racial intolerance and xenophobia that still persist in some ultras groups in some football stadiums. There is no need to stigmatize football in general, but there is a responsibility on the part of the club managers not to be permissive or stand out in the face of events like this that are a danger to coexistence and harmony.

– Do you think that Atlético de Madrid has fought against violent groups in its stadium with the same firmness that Real Madrid, Barcelona and other entities have done?

– The results and facts answer this question. There have been clashes and terrible tragedies and it seems that they have not resolved it even though they say yes. You have to follow a firm guideline as Real Madrid or Barcelona have done. Using a soccer simile, spaces must be reduced to this intolerance that does so much damage.

– Do you mean that Atlético, as a club, could do a little more in the fight against this scourge?

– I think so. You have to go much further than a conviction. They should have identified or given clues to locate those responsible for violent acts that occurred previously. People who practice these acts or are involved in violent confrontations cannot be kept in the stadiums.

Recent Articles

Related News

Leave A Reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here