Judge drops probe into Dani Mateo’s nose-blowing Spanish flag sketch

A JUDGE probing the case of a comedian blowing his nose on the Spanish flag has dropped the case after finding no evidence that a crime was committed.

Judge Adolfo Carretero, of Madrid’s 47^th Court, ruled Dani Mateo had no intention of inciting hatred when he blew his nose in the flag in a television sketch last year.

Judge Carretero added the sketch enjoyed free speech protection in the context in which it appeared.  The “outrage and perplexity” that resulted was understandable and justified, his ruling said.

“It was not possible to reject this case outright without the defendant clarifying the meaning of his sketch because humour can also be used to insult people and symbols,” the judge said.

“Now what do I do with my Belgian flat?” Mateo said in reference to the rapper Valtonyc and others who fled to the country after arrests and jail sentences.

There were calls to arrest Mateo following the sketch which appeared on La Sexta last year. The comedian parodied celebrations of the 40^th anniversary of Spain’s Constitution by paying homage to cough medicine before sneezing on the flag and knocking it over.

“When tempers get very hot, flags become more important than people and that is very dangerous,” Mateo said following the backlash.