Former Celta Vigo footballer fined for sexual abuse for touching Espanyol mascot

A criminal court in Barcelona has sentenced the former Celta Vigo footballer Hugo Mallo to pay a €6,000 fine and €1,000 in compensation for a crime of sexual abuse for touching the breasts of a woman wearing the Espanyol mascot costume ahead of a match.

The game, between Espanyol and Celta Vigo, took place at the Catalan team's Cornellà de Llobregat stadium in April 2019.

The events occurred during the pre-match team greeting, and when the player greeted the two mascots of Espanyol, one male parakeet, Perico, and one female parakeet, Perica, he put his hands under the latter's costume.

The mascot then stepped back and pushed the player away.

The player denied touching the woman and the defence team had asked for Mallo to be acquitted. 

According to the sentence, which the sports newspaper As has had access, "it is proven" that Hugo Mallo "at the time of greeting the members of the opposing team (...) upon arriving at the person in the parakeet costume, with the intention of satisfying his lustful spirit and of undermining her sexual indemnity, put his hands under the costume and touched her breasts, forcing her to step back and push the accused away with her right hand."

The fact that the events occurred five years ago means the footballer avoided a sentencing of 'sexual assault' which is now contemplated by the penal reform of the so-called 'only yes is yes' law, which only came into effect in 2023.