After a video emerged yesterday of Kurt Zouma attacking his cat, the Société Protectrice des Animaux (Society for the Protection of Animals) has decided to press charges against the 27-year-old French defender.
This decision aligns the French society with the Brigitte Bardot Foundation and the 30 Millions d’Amis Foundation, who have both already filed complaints against the West Ham player.
Speaking on BFMTV, the president of the society, Jacques-Charles Fombonne revealed the charges had been filed yesterday afternoon. “It’s absolutely unacceptable,” he said. “These things happened in England but here in France it’s a crime, committed in the presence of a minor. Zouma risks four years in prison and a €60,000 fine.”
The society’s president continued, “He’s a sportsman, a footballer. An idol for young girls and boys. When you are a sportsperson, you have to respect sporting values, that is to say self-respect and respect for others.”
Fombonne went on to describe potential punishments for the defender: “Someone who attacks a cat should not have a sporting licence. The sponsors especially should withdraw from partnerships they have with him. And I think that would happen naturally because no brand would want to be associated with this person. And that would be the most effective punishment.”
The British justice system has not yet opened an investigation.
