Former Celta Vigo captain Hugo Mallo convicted of sexual assault of mascot

Spanish soccer player Hugo Mallo was convicted of sexual abuse by a Barcelona court on Thursday for attacking a woman dressed as the club's mascot.

Mallo, 33, who currently plays for Aris de Saloniki in Greece, must pay the victim 1,000 euros ($1,100) plus interest and will also be fined 10 euros a day for 20 months.

The defender committed the offence as captain of Celta Vigo in a match against Espanyol on 24 April 2019.

Mallo walked past Espanyol's mascot, who was dressed as a parakeet, and “put his hands under her costume and touched her breasts with the intention of satisfying his lascivious disposition and undermining her sexual freedom,” the court ruling states.

The woman was forced to “take a step back and push the defendant away with her right hand,” the verdict continues.

The case was temporarily suspended in 2019, but was resumed following appeals by the defense and the victim.

(This article has not been edited by News18's editorial team and is taken from the feed of a syndicated news agency – AFP.)