Ronaldo ‘can’t get away with it again’
Mum calls for penalty after assault on son
A MUM whose autistic son was assaulted by Cristiano Ronaldo has implored the footballer not be allowed to “get away with it again”.
Sarah Kelly said she did not know how the Manchester United star could sleep at night “knowing the distress he has caused to a young fan”.
The Football Association has charged the forward after footage showed him knocking a phone out of 14-year-old Jacob Kelly’s hand.
The lad, an Everton fan, was left with a bruised, puffy hand and broken phone.
Mum Sarah, 37, said: “Let’s hope he finally gets the right punishment.
“He can’t keep getting away with it. His behaviour is unacceptable.”
As Ronaldo walked off the pitch
following a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park in April, he smashed Jacob’s phone out of his hand in frustration.
The Portuguese striker accepted a police caution for assault and criminal damage last month, which Sarah, 37, branded the “tiniest slap on the wrist”.
The FA said on Friday that Ronaldo had been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3, relating to “improper and/or violent” conduct.
Sarah said the FA’s action had sparked a fresh wave of abuse against her and her son, after they endured “six months of hell” from Ronaldo fans
She added: “I’m being hounded by people saying I’m dragging it up again but I didn’t know anything about it.
“He should have been dealt with six months ago. My son
talks about what happened to him every day. He still hasn’t had his phone back.”
She was angry Merseyside Police had been the ones to fork out to get the phone repaired, she said.
Sarah, of Upton, Merseyside, added: “He should have paid for that. He’s the one who caused all this.
“It baffles me – he can assault a child and carry on as normal. How can he sleep at night knowing the distress he has caused to a young fan?” Sarah, who
said police told her Ronaldo paid a £200 fine, said she and Jacob had not received a sincere apology from the player.
She added: “He offered us to meet him and said he was sorry but said he had done nothing wrong. That’s not an apology, that’s an insult.”
Merseyside Police said they wanted to fix Jacob’s phone before giving it back.
A spokesman added: “The phone was kept until the conclusion of the investigation and will be returned shortly.”
In an Instagram post after the incident in April, Ronaldo, 37, said: “I would like to apologise for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair play and sportsmanship.”
Let’s hope he finally gets the right punishment. His behaviour is unacceptable
SARAH KELLY ON RONALDO’S ASSAULT OF HER SON JACOB