A 47-year-old woman who shouted racist insults during an under-18 women’s handball match between Benfica and Vitória de Setúbal has been fined €1,000 and banned from sports venues for a year. A 47-year-old man who threatened a referee during a Porto Senior District Championship match between Alfa Académico Clube and Associação Recreativa do Freixieiro has been fined €500 and banned from stadiums for 10 months. These are just two examples of the 383 convictions handed down in the first six months of the year by the Office for the Prevention and Combating of Violence in Sport (APCVD).
According to the organization, 785 cases were decided in the first half of 2024: 383 guilty verdicts (177 final, without the possibility of further appeal), 237 decisions to archive and 165 decisions to transfer to the prosecutor’s office, since the case concerns criminals engaged in illegal competition.
Of those convicted, 247 fans were denied access to sports facilities. If caught, they would be disobeying and risk being detained.
Currently, about 450 people are denied access to sports facilities. Over the past five years, the APCVD has closed about 1,700 facilities.
Author: João Carlos Rodrigues
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.