West Ham United have confirmed that Kurt Zouma has been fined two weeks’ wages and that they are supporting the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) with their investigation into a video showing Kurt Zouma abusing a cat.
The club stated that the fine – believed to be worth around £250,000 will be donated to animal welfare charities.
Footage came to light on Monday of the France defender kicking his pet.
Barely 24 hours later, Zouma was controversially started in West Ham’s Premier League match against Watford.
After Zouma’s cats were seized by the RSPCA on Wednesday, West Ham confirmed in a statement that they are supporting the charity with their inquiries.
“We can confirm that the Club is supporting an RSPCA investigation into the actions of Kurt Zouma in the video circulated online this week,” the statement read. “Kurt and the Club are co-operating fully with the investigation and the player has willingly complied with the steps taken in the initial stage of the process, including delivering his family’s two cats to the RSPCA for assessment.
“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.
“Separate to the RSPCA’s investigation and pending further sanction once the outcome of that process is determined, West Ham can confirm that Kurt Zouma has been fined the maximum amount possible following his actions in the video that circulated. The player has immediately accepted the fine, which will be donated to animal welfare charities. “
Meanwhile, Zouma could face up to four years in prison in his native France for kicking and slapping the cat.
A legal complaint has been filed against the 27-year-old in Paris, where there is widespread shock at the video showing the player attacking his pet at his £2million Essex home.
It led to lawyers working for the 30 Million Friends Foundation (La Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis), the largest animal rights group in France, contacting prosecutors.
A spokesman for the Foundation said: “We condemn this heinous act, have asked that the player be suspended from the France team, and filed a legal complaint against him.”
According to article 113-6 of the French Penal Code, a French citizen can be prosecuted for criminal acts carried out abroad.
