Spanish footballer Hugo Mallo has been convicted of sexually assaulting a woman dressed as a mascot before a La Liga game in 2019.
The court in Barcelona ruled that the 33-year-old, who was playing for Celta Vigo at the time, inappropriately touched the victim’s breasts while she was dressed as a parakeet mascot for the rival team, Espanyol.
The conviction has led to a fine of €6,000 (£5,000) and an order to pay €1,000 (£843) in damages to the victim.
The judge, Salvador Roi Tejedor, stated that Mallo acted with the intent of satisfying his sexual desires when he placed his hands under the costume and touched the victim’s breasts.
The woman immediately pushed him away.
Despite the conviction, Mallo has maintained his innocence and plans to appeal the decision.
He shared a video of the incident on Instagram, insisting that while he may have touched the waist of the mascot, he never touched her breasts.
Initially, the case was dismissed, but it was reopened after an appeal.
Both Celta and Espanyol reportedly found no evidence of misconduct at the time.
Mallo also claimed that he did not know the gender of the person in the costume and that he greeted both mascots and players normally.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
