KURT AND YOAN ZOUMA CONVICTED OF ANIMAL ABUSE IN ESSEX
Professional footballers Kurt Zouma, born October 27, 1994, and Yoan Zouma, born May 6, 1998, were convicted in 2022 for animal cruelty after a video surfaced showing them subjecting a cat to prolonged sadistic abuse for their amusement.Kurt Zouma, a defender for West Ham United, admitted to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act for kicking a cat in the abdomen and slapping her on the head.
His younger brother Yoan, who plays for Dagenham and Redbridge, pleaded guilty to aiding, abetting, counselling, or procuring Kurt to commit these offences.
The case was initiated following an RSPCA investigation after footage was uploaded to Snapchat on February 6, 2022.
Yoan filmed the incident at their family home in Essex and posted it with laughing emojis.
The video depicted Kurt Zouma kicking a Bengal cat across his kitchen, throwing shoes at her, and slapping her on the head, all while expressing violent intent, saying “I swear I’ll kill it.” The footage revealed Kurt Zouma attacking the cat at his £2 million mansion in Essex, first dropping the animal and kicking her through the air, then chasing her around the dining room in front of a child as laughter is heard.
Shoes are hurled at the frantic cat, who struggles to escape.
In one disturbing clip, Kurt strongly slaps the animal across the face, even knocking it out of a child's arms, with the child seemingly holding the cat for abuse.
Prosecutor Hazel Stevens said Kurt could be heard saying, “I swear I’ll kill it, I swear I’ll kill it,” during the 40-second clip, which appeared to follow damage to a chair blamed on the cat.
Stevens noted that the young woman who discovered the footage was so appalled she canceled a date with Yoan, stating, “I don’t think hitting a cat like that is OK — don’t bother coming today.” During sentencing, District Judge Susan Holdham told the pair, “Both of you took part in this disgraceful and reprehensible act with this pet cat.
The cat looked up to you to care for its needs.
On that date, you failed to provide for those needs.
You must be aware that others look up to you, and many young people aspire to emulate you.” The court learned that Yoan, whose contract with Dagenham and Redbridge had been extended, had only 80 followers on Snapchat, and the video attracted just five viewers before it was deleted shortly after posting.
RSPCA Chief Inspector Dermot Murphy expressed relief at the swift justice: “We are pleased there has been swift justice in this awful case, and our focus now is on matching these beautiful cats to the loving homes they deserve.
This case sends a really clear message that animals should never be treated like this, and posting videos of animals being harmed on social media for likes is abhorrent.
We believe teaching children to treat animals with kindness will lead to a more compassionate society.
We need positive role models to help us do that.” West Ham United stated that Zouma has been fined £250,000 by the club and lost a major sponsorship with Adidas.
In their official response, the club emphasized their strong condemnation of animal cruelty: “West Ham United wishes to make clear that we condemn in the strongest terms any form of animal abuse or cruelty.
This behavior is unacceptable and not in line with our values.
Within 48 hours of the footage emerging, we fined Kurt the maximum allowable by the club.
All proceeds from the fine are donated to charities dedicated to animal welfare.
Kurt admitted the wrongdoing early and apologized unreservedly.
We hope everyone will allow him the opportunity to learn from this mistake and move forward.” Following the incident, Kurt Zouma’s two cats, named Bonbon and Cherie, were seized by police on February 9, 2022.
They were examined by veterinarians and later handed over to the RSPCA, with both cats now available for rehoming after the case concluded.
Both cats were signed over by Zouma at the first court hearing and are soon to be adopted into caring homes.
RSPCA Inspector Dermot Murphy added, “We are pleased there has been swift justice in this case and our focus now is on matching these healing cats to loving homes.
This case sends a clear message: animals should never be treated this way, and social media posts showing harm for likes are unacceptable.
Teaching kindness toward animals will lead to a more compassionate society, and positive role models are essential.” Sentencing for the two players included Kurt Zouma receiving 180 hours of community service over 12 months, a court surcharge of nearly £9,000, and a five-year ban on owning cats.
Yoan Zouma was sentenced to 140 hours of community service.
In an update from September 2023, it was reported that David Moyes had appointed Kurt Zouma as West Ham’s new captain, just 19 months after the incident in which he mistreated a defenseless cat.
Meanwhile, the French national team coach, Didier Deschamps, who publicly criticized Zouma when the animal abuse became known, has since omitted him from France’s squad, taking a firm stance against the player’s actions.
