After the 0-0 draw at the Pituaçu stadium, which guaranteed Bahia’s classification for the elite of the Brazilian Women’s Championship, the player Suelen accused coach Hugo Duarte, from JC, of having called her a “monkey” during the match valid for the semifinal of the competition.
The accusations caused widespread confusion on the field, resulting in the intervention of the Military Police requested by the referee. Subsequently, the PM received the player’s report and proceeded to fine the coach in the act.
“The act of racism, uttered more than once by the expression ‘macaca’, seeks to silence my presence as a black woman in sport, but denunciation is the weapon I have to fight racism,” Suelen declared on her social networks.
In an interview with the website “GE”, the Portuguese coach’s lawyer denied the accusation of racial slur and detailed the next legal proceedings. The technician remains in detention and will have a custody hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning.
“Our thesis, and what he verbalizes to us, is that he did not say anything about what he was accused of. What happens from now on? Well, he was arrested in the act, he will go through a custody hearing in which the judge will evaluate whether to keep him in prison or free. But we believe that we will prove his innocence and the judge will release him. Our thesis is the denial of authorship. Our confidence is that he will be released,” said lawyer Diego Benevides.
See note from Suelen
See official note from Bahia
What should be a night of celebration for the access of the Women of Steel to the elite of Brazilian football ended up tainted by an unfortunate episode at the Pituaçu stadium.
At the end of the match, the tricolor defender Suelen was the target of a racial offense practiced by the coach of the opposing team on the pitch.
Activated, the Military Police took the accused to the Central de Flagrantes of the 1st Precinct to file a police report.
The Director of Operations and Institutional Relations, Vitor Ferraz, accompanies the athlete along with a criminal lawyer who advises the club, in addition to other players and employees who presented themselves as witnesses.
Esporte Clube Bahia SAF expresses all solidarity with Suelen while demanding a response that is commensurate with the seriousness of the matter, reiterating its commitment to the fight against any type of discrimination.
See JC
JC Futebol Clube AM repudiates any act of racism or racial injury against any person.
About what happened this Monday where the club faced Bahia for the Brazilian Women’s Championship, there was an incident involving the coach and an athlete from the Bahia club who are being investigated.
The club, together with its legal team, are investigating all the necessary information about the events witnessed there to carry out the appropriate procedures where there is no infamous or slanderous information that harms anyone involved.
In addition, we rectify that this club regrets and is against any type of prejudice.
