West Ham defender Kurt Zouma indicted by RSPCA for kicking and slapping video

West Ham defender Kurt Zouma and his brother Yoan are being prosecuted by the RSPCA under the Animal Welfare Act, the charity said.

urt Zouma was seen kicking and slapping one of his cats in footage that surfaced on social media in February, when the RSPCA put the 27-year-old’s two pet cats into care the same month.

Yoan Zouma’s club suspended him last month after saying he was responsible for filming the incident, and said in a club statement issued earlier on Wednesday afternoon, Dagenham said he was “accused”.

The RSPCA released its own statement afterwards, which read: “Following a full and thorough investigation, we have commenced the process of prosecuting Kurt Zouma and Yoan Zouma under the Animal Welfare Act.

“The two cats continue to be in the care of the RSPCA. We will be ready to release more information once the court date is confirmed.

Another statement from the charity read: “The RSPCA does not have the power to charge people. We will serve the summons to the people involved in the charges, the location and the date of the trial after we receive a response from the court. “

West Ham fined their players the maximum possible amount when the case came to light, but manager David Moyes continued to choose Zouma when appropriate.

The RSPCA described the video as “very upsetting” last month, and a petition on Change.org has been set up calling for Zouma to be prosecuted.

West Ham have cooperated with the RSPCA’s investigation, and said in a statement on Wednesday: “West Ham United are aware of the RSPCA’s statement regarding the investigation regarding Kurt Zouma.

“Kurt continues to cooperate fully with the support of the club. We are told that Kurt’s cat has been vet checked, is in good health, and has no injuries. For legal reasons, neither Kurt nor the club will be making any further comment at this time.”

Yoan Zouma was suspended by Dagenham last month for his role in the incident.

However, the National League club said the player would now be considered for selection, claiming that any further suspension would be “detrimental” to the player and the club.

The club said it reserves the right to take further action if it deems necessary following the conclusion of the court proceedings.