The Brazilian soccer team’s mascot has been accused of sexually harassing a female reporter on the sideline during Sunday’s important game. Her masked man allegedly hugged the reporter so tightly that he could feel sweat staining her costume.
Gisele Kumpel, a reporter for the newspaper Canal Monumental, was covering a match between Gremio Sports Club Internacional (Inter), also known as Grenar, when Inter’s mascot, Sashi, approached her as he celebrated his team’s victory. He claimed he grabbed her, forcibly hugged her and made kissing noises. A goal that wins the match.
“When Inter scored, he stopped next to me and just hugged me, he hugged me,” Kumpel said. Brazilian news agency GloboEsporte. “Even with the mask on, he pushed my head and made me kiss him. I could hear the kisses and I could feel his sweat.”
She claimed she was given an unwanted hug during the second half of a match between cross-town rivals Porto Algiers, who play in Brazil’s Serie A league, after Inter scored the winning goal on penalties.
Footage obtained by the outlet showed Kumper walking behind the goal while Sasi stood nearby.
Sashi was reportedly celebrating his team’s late goal in a 3-2 win over Gremio.
Kumpel claimed he even made a gesture as if he was trying to push the unwanted mascot away.
She said she was the only female journalist working behind the goal and the only female journalist who saw the mascot make strange gestures and bend over to look at her cell phone.
After the match, Kumpel reported the unwelcome hug to local police, who are investigating it as a case of sexual harassment.
“Grenal unfortunately ended up being a (police) report for me. Sexual Harassment by @SCInternacional Mascot.” Kumpel posted on X We will also introduce photos of the inside of the station.
Kumpel condemned the mascot’s actions, saying that Sashi’s forced hugs were the kind of behavior that women in sports are subjected to on the job.
“It’s yet another day when women who want to do their jobs in football have to suffer for it alongside criminal idiots,” Kumpel added. “I will do my best to prevent other women from experiencing this.”
After leaving the police station, Kumpel said he was fine despite the exchange they had had hours earlier.
“Everything is fine. I did everything I could to remove the fear, trembling, crying and disbelief of that moment, because it is impossible to remove the facts.” she said in a follow-up post.
According to GE, Inter handed over all on-field footage from the game to police in order to help solve the incident.
The unidentified employee who was wearing the Sashi costume has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The employee will no longer represent Mr. Sashi until the process is completed,” the team said in a statement. Obtained by U.S. Sun.
“We believe that all the facts will be formally clarified by the law enforcement authorities,” the statement said. “The officials responsible for the mascot and the club itself therefore remain at the discretion of the authorities until the matter is resolved promptly.”
