West Ham defender Kurt Zouma and his brother Yoan are being prosecuted by the RSPCA under the Animal Welfare Act, the charity has said.
Kurt Zouma was seen kicking and slapping one of his cats in footage which surfaced on social media in February, with the RSPCA taking the 27-year-old’s two pet cats into care the same month.
Yoan Zouma’s club suspended him last month after saying he had been responsible for filming the incident, and said in a club statement issued earlier on Wednesday afternoon Dagenham said that he had been “charged”.
The RSPCA released its own statement later, which read: “Following a full and thorough investigation, we have started the process of bringing a prosecution against Kurt Zouma and Yoan Zouma under the Animal Welfare Act.
“The two cats continue to be cared for by the RSPCA. We will be in a position to release more information once a court date is confirmed.
A further statement from the charity read: “The RSPCA does not have the power to charge people. We will be serving a summons on those involved with the allegations, court venue and date once we have heard back from the court.”
West Ham fined their player the maximum amount possible when the incident came to light, but manager David Moyes has continued to pick Zouma when fit.
The RSPCA described the video as “very upsetting” last month and a Change.org petition was set up calling for Zouma to be prosecuted.
𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗬𝗼𝗮𝗻 𝗭𝗼𝘂𝗺𝗮— Dagenham & Redbridge (@Dag_RedFC) March 16, 2022
West Ham have been co-operating with the RSPCA’s investigation, and said in a statement on Wednesday: “West Ham United is aware of the RSPCA statement in relation to its investigation involving Kurt Zouma.
“Kurt continues to co-operate fully, supported by the club. It is our understanding that Kurt’s cats have been checked by a vet, are in good health and have suffered no physical injuries. For legal reasons, neither Kurt or the club will be making any further comment at this time.”
Yoan Zouma was suspended by Dagenham last month over his role in the incident.
However, the National League club said the player would now be considered for selection, stating that any further suspension would be “detrimental” to the player and the club.
The club said they reserved the right to take further action if deemed necessary after conclusion of the court proceedings.
