Scandal! Referee handed six-month suspended prison sentence for domestic violence
A serious off-field case has cast a shadow over French refereeing.
Details: According to L'Équipe, Ligue 1 referee Abdelatif Kherradji was sentenced on Wednesday, August 19, to six months in prison, fully suspended, after being found guilty of domestic violence. The 40-year-old had been tried by the Nîmes criminal court on August 7.
The sentence also includes a three-year prohibition on contacting the victim and an obligation to complete a course aimed at combating domestic violence. The conviction will not be entered on Kherradji's criminal record.
The prosecutor had requested a much heavier punishment of 18 months in prison, also suspended. During the hearing, Kherradji firmly denied the accusations and maintained that he had acted only to protect himself after being attacked.
The referee's professional future now remains uncertain. L'Équipe reports that Kherradji met with his refereeing superiors before the trial to explain the situation, and the football authorities must now decide whether he will face an additional disciplinary sanction.
It is worth noting that Kherradji is 40 years old and has worked as a central referee in Ligue 1 for the past two seasons.
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Steven Perez
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