Reporter Han Bing reported that after Manchester City defender Mendy and Manchester United midfielder Greenwood became notorious for sexual assault and domestic violence scandals, Kurt Zuma, who plays for West Ham United, will be severely punished by public opinion, clubs and even laws for "cat abuse".
Born in Lyon, France, Coote Zuma, who came from the Saint-Etienne youth system, joined Chelsea in 2014 and was once considered Terry's ideal successor, signing for West Ham last summer for £29.8 million. Zuma, whose parents are from the Central African Republic, is an international of the French all-age national team, with a weekly salary of 125,000 pounds in the "Hammer Gang", a career on the rise, and three children with his wife Sandra, however, on Monday, the Sun exposed Zuma's brother Joann's video of Zuma abusing cats uploaded on Snapchat, which has the potential to completely change the life of the French defender.
Zuma has two Bengal leopard cats, and the video was filmed by his younger brother Joan, who plays for England's 5th League, and includes him kicking his cat in the kitchen and throwing his shoes at the cat as he fled in horror. In addition, another video shows Zuma knocking down a cat in the child's arms, and the photographer laughs wildly. Once the video was exposed, it quickly triggered widespread condemnation from social networks and public opinion, although West Ham United first announced that Zuma would be fined a two-week salary (250,000 pounds), which would be donated to animal protection agencies, in addition, the club ordered him to immediately issue a public apology, zuma also apologized to his teammates on the training ground, but the situation did not subside, but intensified.
Because Zuma's abuse of cats was so bad, his personal equipment sponsor Adidas has announced the suspension of the contract, which has cost him another 100,000 pounds a year in revenue. West Ham United clubs have not been spared, life insurance company sponsor Vitality announced the end of the "Hammer Gang" annual sponsorship of 500,000 pounds, Experience Kissimmee and Hope App and other sponsors also said that they are evaluating whether to continue to sponsor West Ham United, the club's equipment sponsor Umbro also publicly condemned Zuma's behavior.
The scandal over Zuma's abuse of the cat was further exacerbated by the fact that manager Moyes still arranged for him to start in the FA Cup match the following day after the incident. England star Reinkel lashed out at Moyes' approach, arguing that it was very inappropriate to arrange for scandal-ridden players to play after such a contrarian act. Moyes explained that he needed to be responsible for the team, choosing the 11 players with the best form and strength to play. Zuma on the pitch was also not well, and every time he touched the ball, he caused boos from the fans, and every time he was violated, the fans shouted "This is the feeling of your cat".
Fines, apologies and education on animal protection topics, Zuma has to be punished more than that. Both the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in the UK and Essex Police, where Zuma lives, have opened investigations, with the former taking his two cats away for their care until a judicial investigation is final. The French animal protection group Brigitte Bardot Foundation has formally sued Zuma, and France's largest animal protection organization, La Fondation 30 Millions d'Amis, has asked the French Football Federation to stop recruiting Zuma into the national team and sue him for animal cruelty. Zuma's younger brother, Joan, has also been suspended by the club.
Under the French Penal Code, the French judiciary can impose penalties on French persons for offences committed abroad. France introduced a tough animal protection law in 2021, and animal cruelty can be punishable by up to 4 years in prison and a fine of 60,000 euros. The UK also raised the maximum sentence for animal cruelty from 6 months to 5 years last June, with no cap on fines. As of Feb. 10, more than 200,000 people had joined forces online to sue Zuma. Because of the solid evidence, the French defender will most likely face legal proceedings and may even face jail time.
Zuma's apology was sincere and promised not to be exemplary, and he was allegedly angry that the cat had made a mess in the house, but it was not believed that this was the reason for his abuse of the cat. Celebrities such as Susan Hall at London's Conservative Hospital have also denounced Zuma, and former England international Kirkland even called on West Ham United to fire Zuma.
In modern civilized society, animal cruelty is obviously unacceptable and contrary to public order and good customs. As public figures with a certain degree of popularity, professional players and international footballers obviously have to assume greater responsibilities and obligations than ordinary people, and become a model of social morality and law-abiding, otherwise everything they gain because of the aura of public figures will disappear due to their wrong words and deeds. Zuma is a typical negative case that deserves everyone's warning.