French prosecutors have launched an investigation into aggravated public insult and incitement to hatred or violence after a Paraguayan senator racially abused Kylian Mbappé following Paraguay's World Cup loss to France. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed on Tuesday that the probe was initiated after the French Football Federation filed a complaint with the national unit for combating online hate.
Celeste Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party, posted racist comments on X after Mbappé scored the winning penalty in France's 1-0 victory on Saturday. She mocked the France captain's origins, upbringing, education and appearance. France advanced to the quarter-finals, where they will face Morocco on Thursday.
Mbappé called Amarilla a 'despicable woman' who was 'unworthy' of serving in Paraguay's Congress. The Paris prosecutor's office stated that the remarks were allegedly made because of the victim's actual or perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race or religion. These offences are punishable by up to one year in prison and a €45,000 fine.
Amarilla later issued an open letter in French and Spanish to Mbappé on social media, in which she said her problem was with the player, not France. She expressed regret for mistreating Mbappé with 'the same insults' she has received as a mixed-race person and said she had deleted her post. However, she also demanded an apology from Mbappé, accusing him of gender-based violence and threatening legal action if he did not retract his comments.
The Paraguayan government condemned Amarilla's remarks as 'contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country promotes', adding that her comments do not represent the government or the people. The French Football Federation denounced the comments as 'utterly abhorrent' and 'unacceptable', while President Emmanuel Macron and Sports Minister Marina Ferrari voiced support for Mbappé.
