Monday, October 18, 2021
Appeared in court in Madrid
Bayern star takes “last straw” before entering prison
Lucas Hernández appears before the court in Madrid a day earlier than summoned. There the defender of FC Bayern receives his arrest warrant. Without a successful appeal, the French soccer world champion has to start a six-month prison sentence no later than October 28th.
Football professional Lucas Hernández from FC Bayern appeared in court in Madrid on Monday and may face a six-month prison sentence in Spain within the next ten days. Hernández had been personally and officially notified, the responsible court said. The 25-year-old Frenchman had actually only been summoned for Tuesday, but according to official information he appeared a day earlier at criminal court 32 in the east of the Spanish capital.
The court spokesman emphasized that one still had to wait for the decision of the Madrid Higher Regional Court on an appeal lodged by Hernández’s lawyers. However, if this is not yet available on October 28 at midnight, the footballer will immediately have to begin his sentence in a Spanish prison of his choice. This would mean that the defender would be absent from the German record champions until the end of April 2022.
However, Madrid-based lawyer Sven Wassmer assumes that Hernández will not have to be detained on October 28th. “The court can suspend enforcement for the time being,” said Wassmer. It is likely that a decision by the regional court on Hernandez’s appeal, which cannot be expected immediately, will be awaited.
“He’s clinging to the last straw,” added Wassmer. The only hope for Hernandez is “that the enforcement court of the second instance will come to the conclusion that he should not be arrested in his specific situation”. His regular family and professional environment could play a role here.
The ban on contact applies despite reconciliation
This is a discretionary decision by the court, said Wassmer, but “I would not say that he will get away with it in any case.” There is “a real risk that he will have to be arrested”. The court had to apply an exception, but Hernandez did not meet the criteria because he already had a criminal record and the Spanish courts were strict about domestic violence.
Hernández is overtaken by his past: The prison sentence was already imposed in 2019 because of a violent dispute in February 2017 with his girlfriend at the time and now wife. Both were sentenced to community service and a six-month ban on contact for domestic violence. However, they quickly reconciled and traveled together during the six months, which meant that the then professional from Atlético Madrid violated the ban on approaching.
In Spain, the fight against domestic violence plays an important role in society. The judges are very strict, the media report on it in more detail than in Germany, for example, even if unknown people are affected. There is still a ban on contact in Spain even if there has been a reconciliation so that no one can be forced into such a reconciliation. According to Spanish media reports, Hernández’s wife got off lightly because the contact ban had not yet been officially delivered to her at the time of their trip to Las Vegas.
At first there was no comment from Hernandez’s side. The professional should on Wednesday with Bayern Munich in the Champions League duel at Benfica Lisbon (9 p.m. / DAZN and in the live ticker at ntv.de) be part of the party. The 2018 world champion moved from Atlético Madrid to Bayern Munich two years ago as a record purchase for around 80 million euros.