UK authorities have seized West Ham footballer Kurt Zouma’s cats after a video showed him slapping and kicking them went viral online this week.
The animal welfare charity RSPCA, which has confiscated the cats, said the animals were safe and in its staff’s care. “We have been dealing with this since before the clip went viral and we need to follow the proper legal process and not discuss due to UK GDPR laws,” it stated.
The footballer’s team, West Ham United, has pledged to donate two weeks of his £125,000 salary to animal welfare organizations.
The club said it would support the RSPCA’s investigation into its player’s actions shown in the video that went viral this week. According to its statement, Zouma had collaborated “fully” with the probe and has voluntarily complied with the process steps, including allowing the animal welfare charity to take the cats for evaluation.
“Kurt is extremely remorseful and, like everyone at the club, fully understands the depth of feeling surrounding the incident and the need for action to be taken,” it added.
Meanwhile, Zouma faces legal and professional difficulties. UK authorities revealed that he had been fined £250,000.
World-famous sports brand Adidas revealed that the footballer had lost his boot endorsement deal and was no longer a “contracted athlete.” Club sponsor Vitality UK suspended its sponsorship deals while Yield App and Experience Kissimmee considered similar measures.
Zouma could face up to four years in prison in his native France for animal abuse. UK media reported that a legal claim had been filed in Paris after the video showed the player attacking the cats.
If found guilty, he could be punished under the 2021 animal protection laws and face a four-year prison term plus a fine equal to £50,000.
The lawsuit was brought by lawyers from France’s largest animal rights group, the 30 Million Friends Foundation (La Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis). “We condemn this heinous act, have asked that the player be suspended from the France team, and filed a legal complaint against him,” said a spokesman.
Senior French politicians also condemned Zouma’s actions and called for his expulsion from the national team.
