A new chapter on the story of West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma, who admitted to allegations against himself after a video of him abusing a cat went viral. Zuma hid his face and was surrounded by several guards upon his arrival at a magistrates’ court in London, where he appeared alongside his brother Yuan in front of judges who discussed allegations related to a video dated February last year that showed a French player kicking and punching a cat. The West Ham defender pleaded guilty before the judges to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by kicking it in the stomach and hitting it in the head.
He filmed a video of animal abuse at Zuma’s house, and his brother posted it on Snapchat, where he angered a woman who had been in contact with Kurt, so that the latter moved, causing a flurry of criticism against the defender of the London club. During the hearing, prosecutor Hazel Stevens told the court that “Kurt’s voice can be heard talking about the cat: ‘I swear I will kill her, I swear I will kill her,'” Sky News reported. In addition to Kurt’s confession, Yuan claimed that he was involved in allegations of “assisting, inciting, advising or persuading his older brother to commit a crime under British law”.
The abused cat is still in the care of the British Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, knowing that Zuma had to apologize for his behavior, and West Ham fined his player in connection with the incident and secured a donation to nine charities animal welfare organizations in the UK and abroad. West Ham have commented on the incident in February last year, saying they condemn the player’s actions unequivocally.
Activists launched a petition against the player on the Change.org platform, where the owners of the initiative stated that the UK is a country that has laws regarding animal abuse, “and these laws should apply to all people, regardless of whether they are rich or poor . whether they are celebrities.” The petition also calls for the player to be banned from keeping any animals in their home, as they are not responsible for their safety.
