(IPYS/IFEX) – On 17 January 2007, Radio Gaúcha reporter Rafael Serra was assaulted by Grêmio football team fans when he was covering the arrival of the team’s new goalkeeper to Porto Alegre’s airport, in southern Brazil. The reporter suspects that the attack was the result of criticisms made by the radio station’s commentators about acts […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 17 January 2007, Radio Gaúcha reporter Rafael Serra was assaulted by Grêmio football team fans when he was covering the arrival of the team’s new goalkeeper to Porto Alegre’s airport, in southern Brazil. The reporter suspects that the attack was the result of criticisms made by the radio station’s commentators about acts of vandalism carried out in the town by fans of the team.
The assailants surrounded the reporter and hit him in the face. Serra managed to hide in a nearby store and waited until the fans scattered. According to the journalist, the assailants belong to a group called “Geral do Grêmio”, whose members do not belong to the team’s official fan club.
The police (Policía Civil) intend to identify the assailants using images taped by the airport’s security cameras.
This alert was prepared by IPYS with information provided by the Brazilian Investigative Journalism Association (Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo, ABRAJI).
