A Brazilian soccer team's mascot was reportedly accused of sexual harassment by a journalist on Sunday after the character hugged the woman against her will to celebrate the victory until she could smell sweat through the costume.
“Another day when women just want to do their job in football and suffer for it because idiots are criminals. “I'm going to the end so that no other woman experiences something like this,” denounced Canal Monumental Media sports journalist Gisele Buddy on Monday on X, the New York Post reported.
On Monday, the Brazilian journalist would have gone to the police station to denounce the man who stood under the mascot Saci and who, on Sunday, hugged her against her will after the winning goal of the local football team Inter, for which the figure wears the colors.
At the time, she was reportedly the only woman working behind the gate and the only one toward whom the mascot behaved inappropriately. However, the woman tried to push the costumed man away to express her discomfort, she added.
O Grenal lamentavelmente terminou num BO pra mim.
Sexual meaning of your mascot @SCInternacionalBut on the other hand we have to do our job without Futebol and Sofrendo with all the idiots who are criminals.
You're watching a practical film, but it doesn't take much to get past it pic.twitter.com/UVTtBaBpnR
— Gi Kümpel (@Gikumpel) February 26, 2024
“When Inter scored, he stopped next to me and just hugged me. Despite the mask, he squeezed my head and wanted to kiss me. I could hear the sound of kisses and smell his sweat,” the woman reportedly told Brazilian media GloboEsporte.
In light of the sexual harassment complaint filed on Monday, the employee who played the mascot, whose identity was not disclosed, would have been suspended from his role pending the completion of the police investigation.
“Until the process is complete, the employee will be separated from Saci’s representation,” the team said in a statement to the US Sun. We hope that all matters will be properly clarified with the police authorities.”