June 14, 2024 06:25
The man was seen biting the boy’s ear.
Photo: Social Media
Snooker fans have spoken out after a player was caught on camera appearing to bite a young boy’s ear during the World Championships.
Italian forklift driver Stefano Voci said he was just “sharing affection” with the boy, who he said was a relative.
He slammed those who manipulated the image online and acted “maliciously” against it.
The scene was shown in the background of a television interview with snooker player Stephen Hendry during the championship in April, startling some viewers.
In the video, the boy is seen noticing the camera and waving, at which point Voci also sees it and makes a funny face.
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The incident occurred during an interview with Stephen Hendry.
Photo: Alamy
Police launched an investigation after the incident but recently announced that Voci had no case to answer.
Voci, originally from Desio, near Milan in northern Italy, was in Britain visiting family when he attended the world championships in Sheffield.
He said he was saddened by the uproar since the incident and that he was in no way guilty of his actions.
Voci has since deleted his social media accounts, saying: “There is a lot to explain and it’s all ongoing. I was just a person sharing love like everyone else and that was maliciously exposed.”
Kyren Wilson won this year’s World Championships.
Photo: Alamy
He added: “All the photos are edited on social networks. Those photos are not mine and are only being manipulated to influence me… Enough with the hate.”
“My family is doing well and closer than ever. I don’t care if my face is circulating all over social media in photomontages and fake posts,” Voci added.
“Please leave my family alone. God bless you all. Good luck to you all.”
South Yorkshire Police said: “After reviewing the video, officers determined no offence was committed and have launched an investigation.”