A preliminary investigation was opened by the Pau public prosecutor's office after monkey cries were made during an amateur football match by spectators against a young player from Bayonne.
The Pau public prosecutor's office announced on Tuesday the opening of a preliminary investigation “for provocation of hatred during a sporting event” after racist cries that occurred on Sunday during an amateur football match, in Siros (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) .
The match was stopped by the referee
The opening of this investigation follows “the reading of articles published in the press concerning racist incidents which occurred during this weekend's football match between Étoile Béarnaise and the Croisés de Bayonne”, said Rodolphe. Jarry, the public prosecutor of Pau, specifying that this offense is punishable by one year of imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros.
According to the Republic of the Pyrenees, this Dargains Cup match between Etoile Béarnaise and the C team of the Croisés de Bayonne (two teams playing in Departmental 3) was stopped by the referee after hearing racist insults coming down from the stands.
The two clubs, cited by the newspaper, mentioned “screams” and “monkey imitations” uttered by two spectators against a 17-year-old Bayonne player. In a message published on Facebook, the Béarnais amateur club based in Siros, near Pau, expressed its “deep indignation” and promised to “investigate to identify the person(s) responsible”.
