Thursday, September 09, 2021
Probation and ankle cuff
Condemned after England’s Racism Night
After the European Championship finals in 2021, parts of the English population will lose control of themselves. Racist they rage online against the black national players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka. This triggers a nationwide debate and now also has legal consequences.
A court in Cheshire, UK, has sentenced a 43-year-old man to a 14-week suspended prison term for racist insult after England lost the World Cup verdict. He has to wear an electronic ankle cuff on 40 weekends.
On July 11, 2021, England first lost the European Championship final against Italy and then parts of the country self-control. Even before the game, a number of fans stormed Wembley Stadium after breaking barriers on Wembley Way, a narrow path between the tube and the entrance. There had also been arguments in the stadium.
After England’s unfortunate defeat on penalties, the pre-game lawlessness on display in the stadium and on the streets of the English capital spread to social media. Here the infinite anger of the agitated masses was directed against the Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka. The three black national players had awarded their penalties. The numerous racist insults in the networks had triggered a political debate and are now also having legal consequences.
“It was a joke”
The man from Runcorn, Cheshire, sentenced on Wednesday was one of those who, in their blind rage, lacked propriety. In a Facebook posting, he first insulted the three England players in a massively racist manner and then demanded that they be kicked out of the national team.
In court, the man pleaded guilty to having sent an offensive or abusive message over a public network. He alleged that he wrote the post under the influence of marijuana and later deleted it. “It was a joke,” he said according to the Guardian.
The responsible judge saw it differently. According to English media reports, he described the posting as an “offense with far-reaching consequences”. The court sentenced the man to 14 weeks’ imprisonment, which was suspended for 18 months. In addition, he must wear an electronic ankle cuff on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to midnight and on Sundays from 12 p.m. to midnight for 40 weeks.
The judge called the widespread racism “outrageous” and “frankly disgusting” the night after the European Championship final. This would rightly have provoked a nationwide conviction. The 43-year-old from Runcorn, Cheshire has now even been convicted in court.
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