Quirky judicial annoyance
Bayern star Hernandez is supposed to go to jail – because he was on vacation with his wife
The Bayern star and French international is due to appear in court on October 19
© Tom Weller / DPA
In 2017, the football star Lucas Hernandez and his current wife were banned from mutual contact. However, because they were on vacation together, they broke the order. This could only have consequences for one of the two.
Lucas Hernandez, Bayern Munich defender and French national team player, faces a six-month prison sentence. According to media reports, the now 25-year-old was convicted by a Spanish court in 2019 for violating an injunction that prohibited him from approaching his then girlfriend and now wife within 500 meters.
The bizarre story goes back to an incident in 2017. At that time, reports the Spanish sports newspaper “Marca”, among others, the soccer star was arrested after he became violent in an argument with his girlfriend. She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Hernandez was then imposed on 31 days of community service and a six-month ban on domestic violence, as reported by the Spanish daily “El País”. He is said to have not or only partially completed the social hours to this day. But Hernandez’s girlfriend had apparently been violent in the course of the dispute – and was sentenced in the same way. At that time, neither of the two reported a complaint against the other.
In Spain According to reports, contact bans also apply in the event of reconciliation. The reason: The aim is to prevent those affected by domestic violence from consenting to a reconciliation under pressure.
Lucas Hernandez had probably not done community service
Less than four months after the dispute – in the meantime both had reconciled and even married – the couple violated the injunctions when they went on vacation together, as the British BBC reports. According to “El País”, they were intercepted by police back in Madrid. Hernandez was held for a few hours by the officers – in contrast to his girlfriend. At this point in time, she had not been formally informed about the ban on contact.
So only one of the partners violated the ban on contact – and now has to fear the consequences in the form of a prison sentence. In December 2019, Hernandez was sentenced to six months in prison. According to the reports, the court was tough and did not agree to a conversion into a fine, also because Hernandez had hardly done his previously paid social hours.
First sentences of less than two years imprisonment in Spain rarely result in a stay in prison. But in the case of the French football star, it is a repeat offense – due to the previous conviction. The grace period therefore does not apply.
As the “Marca” writes, Hernandez must appear in court on October 19 and then has ten days to go into custody. He was allowed to freely determine the penal institution. According to the “BBC”, he has appealed the sentence.
sources: “BBC“;”Marca“;”El País“