Sadly in world soccer, for every heart-warming story there seem to be more horrific ones that make you just question what goes on in people’s minds. The latest comes from Argentina, where a fan is brain dead after he was thrown off a ledge by fellow supporters of Belgrano in a derby match and four people were arrested as a result.
According to reports, 26-year-old Emanuel Ezequiel Balbo was sitting in the stands with fans and he was pushed down the grandstand and struck by people as he was carried. They then tossed him over the ledge and he fell more than 10 feet before hitting his head on stairs, resulting in him being left brain dead, according to Clarin. The report said police chief Jorge Sergio Gomez confirmed that the man was brain dead after he arrived at the hospital.
The incident is still being investigated by authorities. The victim’s father told Clarin that the man who threw him over is someone the family had trouble with in the past, saying that he killed another one of his sons in a car accident four years ago. It is still unclear as to why he was targeted. Early speculative reports indicated that he was a fan of the opposing club, but now it seems that he was a long-time supporter of Belgrano, according to his father.
Reports out of Argentina indicate that anybody charged with the crime will face aggravated homicide charges that could carry a 34-year prison sentence.
