When defender Kurt Zouma raised his leg to kick a cat back in early 2022, little did he anticipate that his family’s life would turn into a nightmare. The West Ham defender had to publicly express remorse and regret for that cruel act.
By kicking his pet Bengal cat and throwing a shoe at another cat running in his apartment, defender Kurt Zouma was fined two weeks’ wages at West Ham, and Adidas terminated its sponsorship contract with him. The French court even declared that Zouma could face up to four years of “community service” for his actions.
Things might not have escalated to such severity if Zouma’s brother hadn’t foolishly filmed the incident and posted it online. Within a day of the clip appearing on Snapchat, public outcry in England vehemently criticized the French defender for his violent behavior towards pets.
The public outrage heightened when they witnessed West Ham manager David Moyes, known for his fondness for pets, including Zouma in the lineup against Watford. Despite West Ham’s 1-0 victory, every time Zouma touched the ball, boos echoed from the stands of West Ham supporters.
Kurt Zouma himself acknowledged the wrongfulness of his actions and issued a public apology video, as requested by the West Ham club. However, the apology seemed insincere as Zouma’s demeanor appeared indifferent and unapologetic.
Nevertheless, despite his apologies, Zouma’s life has drastically changed. On the field, he faced taunting from opposing fans, who mockingly hugged inflatable cats at the London Stadium. West Ham manager David Moyes continued to utilize Zouma, albeit acknowledging his actions as “ill-fated”.
“We all make mistakes in life,” Moyes said before a match that season. “I do not condone his actions. We all see this as despicable. But I still use him because he is my player.”
Zouma genuinely regretted and felt disappointed in his actions. He was prepared for the backlash from football fans, and rightly so. “I understand how people feel. But now we are asking for some forgiveness. We all make mistakes in life.”
Even MUTV commentator Steve Bower seized the opportunity to criticize Zouma. After a collision between the French player and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, forcing the latter to be substituted, Bower remarked: “He’s strong. Just ask his cat.”
Zouma was eventually sentenced in Thames Magistrates’ Court with two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, under the Animal Welfare Act, and was sentenced to 180 hours of community service, banned from owning or caring for cats for five years, and fined nearly £9,000.
Yoan Zouma, who admitted to aiding, abetting, counseling, or procuring his brother’s offenses, was sentenced to 140 hours of community service. As for the club, after fining their player two weeks’ wages amounting to £250,000, West Ham donated that sum to 9 animal welfare charities in the UK and abroad.
The troubles for Kurt Zouma didn’t stop there. A legal suit was filed against him in Paris, and lawyers working for the organization “30 Million Friends” (La Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis), France’s largest animal rights group, contacted prosecutors. They demanded his expulsion from the French national team, citing Article 113-6 of the French Penal Code regarding the prosecution of French citizens for offenses committed abroad, with “animal cruelty” potentially resulting in a four-year prison sentence and a fine equivalent to £50,000.
The two cats subjected to Kurt Zouma’s cruel acts were taken into care by the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a charity in England and Wales), and West Ham announced its support for the organization’s investigation into Zouma’s actions in the video clip.
Sportsmail also revealed in May 2022 that the Essex police were investigating a series of abusive private messages sent to Zouma, in which he was repeatedly called the “N-word” and threatened with death. In these messages, Zouma and his family were threatened with sexual assault. Zouma was repeatedly referred to as a monkey and the “N-word,” a derogatory term for black people.
Zouma was also threatened with being shot and stabbed if seen outside. Overzealous messages even warned that the defender would be mutilated and forced to live in a state of permanent disability “worse than death.” Not stopping there, the messages also threatened harm to Zouma’s wife and children.
“It’s been a tough time for me and my family. Clearly, I did something very wrong, and I want to apologize once again for that. I deeply regret it, and now I’m trying to move forward with my family. I’ve learned a lot from this incident,” Zouma shared his regret for his cruel actions.