Spanish footballer found guilty of groping female mascot in parakeet costume

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Spanish footballer Hugo Mallo has been convicted of groping a woman’s breasts while she was working as a parakeet mascot during a match.

The former captain of Celta Vigo was convicted by a judge in Barcelona after five years of campaigning from the victim, as the event took place when she was working as Espanyol’s mascot.

The judge fined Mallo 6,000 euros (£5,060) and ordered him to pay 1,000 euros (£843) in damages to the victim.

Mallo reiterated his innocence and said he planned to appeal the sentencing, as well as posing a video of the incident on Instagram, which appears to show the now 33-year-old greeting the mascot in a tight embrace.

“I continue to categorically deny the facts attributed to me in the ruling,” he said. “I acknowledged that while turning around after the greetings that my hand could have touched the waist of the parakeet, but I absolutely denied that it touched the parakeet’s breasts.”

The case was initially dismissed but that decision was overturned on appeal. At the time, Mallo posted a statement on Instagram calling for “respect” and pointing out that neither Celta nor Espanyol found evidence of wrongdoing.

Mallo, who now plays for Greek side Aris remains responsible for covering all the legal costs associated with the trial.

According to Spanish media reports, Judge Salvador Roi Tejedor said in his ruling: “Upon reaching the height of the victim, disguised as a parakeet, the accused, with the intention of satisfying his libidinous desire and of undermining the sexual indemnity of the same, put his hands under the costume and touched her breasts, forcing the victim to step back and push the accused away with her right hand.”