Maccabi Haifa Fan Sentenced for Assaulting Teen Over Rival Scarf
A Maccabi Haifa fan was sentenced to five months of community service and fined for violently assaulting a 17-year-old rival supporter over a scarf and hat at a Haifa bus stop.
A routine wait at a bus stop turned violent simply because of a Hapoel Haifa scarf and hat: Alexander Pechulin, a Maccabi Haifa fan convicted of assaulting a 17-year-old minor alongside others after noticing he supported the rival team, has been sentenced to five months of community service, ordered to pay 10,000 shekels in compensation, and banned from football matches for a year and a half. The judge ruled that the teenager was attacked "solely because his taste differed from that of the defendant and his friends."
The Incident at the Bus Stop
According to the indictment, the incident took place on an evening when the 17-year-old complainant was standing with another person at a bus stop near the Haifa Mall, wearing a Hapoel Haifa hat and scarf. Pechulin arrived at the scene with three others wearing Maccabi Haifa shirts. After noticing that the teenager supported the rival team, one of them approached him, pulled his hat and scarf, kicked his leg, and knocked him to the ground. When the complainant asked for his belongings back, another individual pushed him against the side of the shelter and took his mobile phone from his pocket.
The indictment states that the teenager begged them, saying he had no affiliation with any organized group. At this point, Pechulin swung a punch at him and said, "Try me, I'll tear you apart." Pechulin and his friends then began rummaging through the victim's phone. The violence did not end there; after the teenager repeatedly asked for his phone back, the defendant and the others assaulted him with kicks and punches all over his body. While he was lying on the ground, Pechulin kicked him and struck him in the head with a punch.
The attack only stopped when a passerby intervened and separated the parties. Pechulin and his friends fled the scene, taking the victim's mobile phone, scarf, and hat with them. As a result of the attack, the teenager suffered a head injury and superficial abrasions.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
During the sentencing arguments, the prosecution argued that Pechulin's actions violated the protection of a person's bodily integrity and their right to move freely in the public space without fear. The prosecution emphasized that this was a joint assault on a minor simply for supporting a rival team. Conversely, Pechulin's defense attorney condemned the incident but argued that it was unplanned and that a more thorough investigation could have identified other participants.
"The complainant was attacked solely because his taste differed from that of the defendant and his friends," wrote Senior Judge Tal Tadmor-Zamir.
The defense requested a suspended sentence and compensation of 10,000 shekels, highlighting that Pechulin had confessed during his initial interrogation. The defense also presented his life circumstances, noting that he has lived in Germany for about six years, works as a sous-chef in a gourmet restaurant, and supports his siblings. Pechulin himself expressed remorse and apologized for his actions.
Senior Judge Tal Tadmor-Zamir emphasized the severity of the violence, particularly when committed in a group and against a sporting background. She noted that Pechulin was nearly 31 at the time of the incident and should have exercised judgment rather than escalating the violence. In addition to the community service and compensation, the court issued an order prohibiting him from entering any venue hosting a football match for 18 months.
