A Spanish soccer player has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman who was dressed as a mascot prior to a La Liga match.
Hugo Mallo, who was representing Celta Vigo during the incident, improperly touched her breasts while she was adorned in a parakeet costume for the opposing team Espanyol, as declared by a court in Barcelona.
The occurrence transpired in 2019 when the athletes were forming lines before the match commenced.
Mallo, aged 33, was penalized with a fine of €6,000 (£5,000) by the magistrate and instructed to compensate the victim with €1,000 (£843) in restitution. Additionally, he is responsible for covering the legal expenses involved in the case.
As reported by Spanish news outlets, Judge Salvador Roi Tejedor articulated in his verdict: “Upon approaching the victim, who was masked as a parakeet, the defendant, with the intent to satisfy his lascivious desires and infringe upon her sexual integrity, reached under the costume and groped her breasts, compelling the victim to recoil and push him away with her right hand.”
Mallo, who now competes for the Greek team Aris, continues to assert his innocence and has indicated plans to contest the verdict.
He has also shared a video of the incident on Instagram.
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Mallo competing for Celta Vigo. Pic: Reuters
“I firmly continue to refute the allegations made against me in the ruling,” Mallo stated in a post accompanying the video.
“I acknowledge that while turning after the greetings, my hand may have inadvertently brushed against the waist of the parakeet, but I absolutely deny that it made contact with the parakeet’s breasts.”
The case was initially dismissed, but that decision was reversed on appeal.
Previously, Mallo released a statement on Instagram advocating for “respect” while highlighting that both Celta and Espanyol found no evidence of misconduct.
