French footballer Kurt Zouma has been found guilty of mistreating his cat. The player was convicted Wednesday, June 1, 2022, by the British justice to “work for general interest”.
French international defender Kurt Zouma was sentenced by a British court to 180 hours of community service for abusing his cat, after the video that went viral which had provoked indignant reactions.
The West Ham player, who pleaded guilty, was also banned from owning a cat for five years by Thames Magistrates Court, east London, who described his actions as ‘shameful and reprehensible’ in a an audience of 15 minutes.
Black suit over white shirt and sneakers, Zouma, 27, arrived in court under the flashes of photographers and protesters, accompanied by security guards.
The video, in which he was seen kicking and slapping his animal, was filmed on February 6 and shared on Snapchat by his little brother Yoan, 24, also a footballer, before being quickly deleted.
Prosecuted for complicity, the latter was also sentenced to 140 hours of community service.
The player had finally been fined nearly 300,000 euros, the highest possible, imposed by his club, and donated to animal protection associations.
The sports equipment manufacturer Adidas had also broken a sponsorship contract with him. West Ham had assured that, according to the information available to the club, the cats had “not suffered any physical injury”.
Source: AfrikPage