The government on Thursday approved a bill that strengthens mechanisms to combat violence in sport, through a combination of stepping up measures to prevent the expansion and deterioration of the criminal justice framework.
According to the Secretary of State for Youth and Sport, João Paulo Correia, “one of the objectives of this package is to strengthen the resources” available to the Authority for the Prevention and Combating Violence in Sport (APCVD).
In a press conference at the end of the Council of Ministers, João Paulo Correia also pointed out that the draft law approved today is also intended to respond to the fact that “major incidents of violence in sports have taken place outside sports venues since 2018” .
Among the proposed measures, we point to the criminalization of support to organized groups of supporters not registered with the APCVD or the granting of direct or indirect support not specified in the established protocols (declaration becoming a new obligation for clubs), whereby those responsible for the groups must also be identified.
“There are only 27 [grupos organizados de adeptos] duly registered with the Authority [para a Prevenção e o Combate à Violência no Desporto] and this is a limitation that must be overcome,” warned João Paulo Correia, adding that the penalty frame will be one to three years in prison.
The responsibility of visiting clubs for the behavior of supporters, the extension of the ban on access to sports venues to all modalities and all convict venues and the increased penalties for clubs that do not provide video surveillance images are also envisaged.
João Paulo Correia acknowledged that “the minimum fine was not a deterrent” regarding non-compliance with the obligation to provide video surveillance images in cases related to violence in sport and revealed that it will increase from 2,500 to 6,000 euros, while the maximum doubles from 100,000 to 200,000 euros.
The crime of harm will become public and aggravated in the context of violence in sports, authorities will be able to prevent the entry of supporters identified in acts of violence that took place before the sports show and people convicted of crimes outside the scope of the falling under this law, the measure of prohibition in the annexes may be applied.
The proposed law also aims to characterize the promotion – and not just incitement – of violence related to racism, xenophobia, bigotry and hatred, which becomes an isolated offense punishable by a heavier fine.
“Competition organizers are now obliged – currently it is optional – to include in their regulations disciplinary sanctions related to promoting or inciting racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sports shows,” the official said.
One of the measures that will not apply immediately with the entry into force of the law, as it will require an adjustment period, is the need for clubs to provide places for people with reduced mobility in the visited and visiting sectors of their buildings .
The figure of the safety manager will also be created, which will be applied gradually, for clubs that do not participate in professional or risky competitions, who will also benefit from the simplification of safety regulations.
João Paulo Correia recalled that the draft law, to be approved in the Assembly of the Republic, had the contribution of representatives of sports agents, such as national federations, Liga Portugal and the Olympic Committee of Portugal, and contains “the measures to respond” the phenomenon of violence in sport.
The Secretary of State was asked about another type of violence, cases of sexual harassment in women’s football, showing that “the government has been following this situation closely” and that it has a “zero tolerance stance”.
“We know that complaints that have become public and others that do not yet have a public dimension are duly investigated by more than one entity,” said João Paulo Correia, referring to the opening a week ago of a complaints channel by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth.
State Secretary for Sport is waiting for clarification after new complaints in judo
The State Secretary for Youth and Sports announced on Thursday that the Olympic Committee of Portugal (COP) has questioned the Judo Federation (FPJ) over new complaints from a group of athletes and is awaiting answers.
Speaking at the press conference at the end of the Council of Ministers this Thursday, João Paulo Correia clarified some points regarding the new episode in the dispute between the FPJ and some judokas.
“A few days ago a group of athletes came to denounce new situations, not exactly those related to the points of the August agreement, and in view of this I can say that the COP has questioned the Portuguese Judo Federation on the two main allegations made by the group of athletes”said the ruler.
The official recalled that the disagreements between the judokas and the FPJ had been settled after government mediation in mid-August, but there will now be a problem with the funds of two of the six complaining judokas.
“The first concerns an alleged withholding of information about the costs that the federation is allocating to that athlete in the Olympic project and a second allegation that there was a unilateral decision by the federation to fund two athletes from the Olympic project to the end. to end the year,” said João Paulo Correia.
The Secretary of State added that the matter had been handed over to the COP, for the purpose of gathering information, and that these answers should reach the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ) so that, in agreement with them, a decision can be made. decision can be made.
“These answers will certainly reach the IPDJ and there, of course, depending on the answers, the IPDJ will have to make a decision”Advanced.
Also at the conference, João Paulo reminded Correia that, among other allegations, without specifying which ones, they deserved the opening of an investigation, which is still ongoing.
“(…) Some of these allegations, if proven, if proven, could violate norms, such as the norm that determines the loss of mandate as a result,” he said.
In August, the IPDJ received another complaint from the Castelo Branco Judo Association, in which the president of the FPJ, Jorge Fernandes, was accused of performing improper functions, namely in the Judo Clube de Coimbra, which the leader denied, but the situation motivated the opening an investigation.
Source: DN
