French international defender Kurt Zouma pleaded guilty to abusing his cat on Tuesday in a British court after the broadcast of a video that provoked outraged reactions.
His brother Yoan, 24, had filmed and shared a video of the 27-year-old West Ham player kicking and slapping his cat.
Prosecuted for complicity, Yoan Zouma also appeared on Tuesday morning before the court of Thames Magistrates, in east London, and admitted to having
“aid, encouraged, advised or incited his older brother to commit an offense”
.
The facts of which they are accused date back to February 6.
The player's two cats have since been handed over to animal welfare society RSPCA, which had launched proceedings for Kurt and Yoan Zouma to be prosecuted under animal welfare legislation.
The London club had not suspended their player and had even made him play a match the evening of the revelation of the affair, provoking a huge wave of protest.
The player was finally fined nearly 300,000 euros, the highest possible, imposed by his club and the sports equipment supplier Adidas had broken a sponsorship contract with the player.
West Ham had assured that, according to the information available to the club, the cats
"did not suffer any physical injury"
.
The club then assured that the financial penalty imposed on the player had been donated to animal protection associations.