Andorran Judo Instructor Suspended After Slapping 10-Year-Old Boy in Class

The Andorran Judo Federation and Ippon Club de Judo have suspended an instructor on a precautionary basis while police investigate claims that he slapped a 10-year-old boy at the end of an after-school class last Thursday in the Escaldes sports pavilion.

The federation issued a statement Friday confirming it had contacted all parties involved, begun urgent information gathering to clarify the incident, and determined responsibilities. It remains in touch with the boy's family and has offered full cooperation to authorities, while underscoring its commitment to judo's core values and community protection. Ippon president Elisard Martínez backed the move, noting it applied to the instructor's roles at both federation and club levels to calm tensions and await more details.

The boy's mother filed complaints with police, the government, and the federation after her son returned home late that evening, reporting redness and a facial mark from the slap in front of other nine- and ten-year-olds. She included a WhatsApp message in which the instructor admitted the action following parents' inquiries. The mother maintained her son had merely defended himself with a judo hold after another child accidentally struck him with a ball during playtime. Hospital staff could not issue an injury report as the mark had faded. She described her son as deeply traumatised—not attending school Friday, fearing the sports centre area, and due for a psychological assessment Monday with child and adolescent services. The boy has stopped judo classes, which she deems unjust, and she demands the instructor's dismissal, questioning how someone who strikes children can work with them.

Accounts from witnesses conflict. Some portray the boy as unusually restless, with prior tense school episodes, and say he started the disruption by applying judo holds to the peer after the ball incident. The instructor intervened to separate them, warned that judo is not for harming others, and then delivered a light tap or slap amid ongoing agitation, leaving no visible mark. He reportedly instructed the boy to change and offered to escort him home for a parent discussion, but the child ran off instead.

The instructor, with no prior complaints, appeared more irritated than usual that day due to student behaviour. Sources note broad support from other families, who describe him as an excellent, patient coach who acted to prevent the boy from injuring another child after verbal warnings failed. Police continue probing the slap's force and circumstances.