A man in England has been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence because he sent racist insults to European champion Jessica Carter on the Internet during the European Football Championship.
The six weeks in prison were suspended for twelve months and he also received a four-year ban from football events. He also has to do community service and pay the equivalent of around 275 euros in court costs and victim tax.
Mitigating circumstances for perpetrators
During last year’s tournament in Switzerland, the 60-year-old perpetrator sent two posts via his TikTok account to the fiancée of German national goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
“They targeted her for no other reason than that she is a prominent footballer”said the judge: “This has caused your victim significant stress and anxiety.” According to the British media “The Guardian” he also stated: “Some argue that crimes of this type are somehow less serious because they are committed behind a screen. The opposite is the case.“
The judge had explained to the perpetrator that he was “really close“to send him to prison. The verdict took into account the fact that the man looked after his 20-year-old daughter, who suffered from epilepsy.
English association welcomes the decision
The man had already pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to sending a grossly offensive message over a public communications network. England’s Football Association (FA) welcomed the decision to dismiss the man.to be held responsible for the disgusting news“.
Carter, 28, who, like Berger, plays for US champions Gotham FC, successfully defended the title with the English national team at the EURO
