YouTuber Iñaki Angulo reported for homophobic insults to Héctor Bellerín

The Association for Transparency and Democracy in Sport has taken a firm stand against homophobic abuse in Spanish football. On Monday it filed a complaint with the Madrid Provincial Prosecutor's Office, specifically with the Hate Crimes and Discrimination section, against YouTuber Iñaki Angulo over remarks he made about Héctor Bellerín following the match Real Betis played against Real Madrid at La Cartuja Stadium last Friday.

• The association accuses Iñaki Angulo of publicly calling Bellerín a 'closeted faggot' and mocking the player's use of the gender expression 'elle'.
• The ten-page complaint relies on article 510 of the Spanish Criminal Code, which punishes humiliation based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
• That article carries prison sentences ranging from six months to two years, plus a fine.
• The organization is calling for an investigation, urgent preservation of digital evidence, and removal or blocking of the content.

What the complaint against Iñaki Angulo says about the Bellerín case

The document filed by the Association for Transparency and Democracy in Sport states that Iñaki Angulo referred to the Betis player using expressions such as 'closeted faggot' and 'the faggot', while also mocking the gender expression 'elle' that Bellerín uses. The remarks were made before an audience of hundreds of thousands of viewers, which the organization argues greatly amplifies their reach and seriousness.

The association believes these statements could constitute a hate crime under article 510 of the Spanish Criminal Code. The complaint stresses that the insults targeted a specific individual because of his real or attributed sexual orientation or gender identity, and that they were spread on a massive scale across a digital platform.

Article 510 of the Spanish Criminal Code: what it punishes and the penalties it carries

Article 510 of the Spanish Criminal Code punishes anyone who harms the dignity of others through actions involving humiliation, contempt or discredit on grounds such as sexual orientation or gender identity, among others. It also covers the distribution of material whose content is likely to cause serious humiliation to those groups or to specific individuals belonging to them.

The penalties for this type of conduct range from six months to two years in prison, along with a fine. The complaint against Iñaki Angulo leans on this legal framework to press the Prosecutor's Office to act and open an investigation into the abuse aimed at Bellerín.

The measures requested from the Madrid Prosecutor's Office

The organization is not only asking for an investigation into the facts. In the ten-page complaint it also requests that the necessary proceedings be carried out to clarify what happened, particularly those aimed at urgently securing the digital evidence. The goal is to preserve the audiovisual content before it can be altered or removed.

While the investigation moves forward, it wants the content taken down or access to it blocked. The association considers that keeping it available would continue to expose Bellerín and the LGTBI community to ongoing humiliation, beyond the damage already caused by its initial dissemination.

Héctor Bellerín and his stand against homophobia in football

Héctor Bellerín is one of the most visible voices in Spanish football when it comes to defending LGTBI rights and fighting discrimination. The Betis full-back has spoken openly about the need to make sport a safe space for everyone, and his commitment to diversity has made him a regular target of online abuse.

The episode now under scrutiny took place after the Real Betis clash with Real Madrid, a high-profile match that served as a megaphone for the YouTuber's insults. The complaint from the Association for Transparency and Democracy in Sport aims to set a precedent and send a clear message: this kind of language cannot go unpunished.

What could happen next in this hate crime complaint

The Madrid Prosecutor's Office will have to decide whether the facts described show enough evidence to open an investigation. If it deems it appropriate, it can carry out the requested evidence gathering, identify the person behind the remarks and assess whether the elements required by article 510 of the Criminal Code are present.

If the case moves forward, it could lead to criminal proceedings with penalties of up to two years in prison. Beyond a specific conviction, the association wants the process to serve as a warning to anyone who uses digital platforms to spread hate speech against athletes because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Frequently asked questions about the complaint against Iñaki Angulo