Each time, victims become less afraid to speak out. Society begins to accompany them, to believe in them, and this creates a revolution. Both in court and on the street. We are facing the power and sexual assaults Impunity is decreasing, but only outside the camps. In recent years, Football players reported for sexual assault or violence There are almost dozens of them, and given this, there is a need for a safety environment so that victims can report, feel safe and not be ostracized.
Take a step and Reporting is not an easy decision. But more and more convictions are being made, and victims are seeing how their voices are heard and respected in the courtroom. “One undoubtedly positive impact“Because it’s a thermometer of how society is changing,” says Lucía Avilés, a judge who specializes in gender violence, “previously it wasn’t seen so much in footballers, but in men with power. There’s the ‘Nevenka case,’ for example.” ; A huge social silence that blames and re-victimizes the victim. With the passage of time, Social evolution means the victims are not so alone. “Thanks to social changes and, above all, the feminist movement, it no longer seems so strange to stand up to men who have some kind of power,” adds the judge.
Dani Alves Case
In the early morning of January 30-31 last year, former FC Barcelona player, Daniel AlvesHe allegedly raped a 23-year-old girl Sutton nightclub related to Barcelona. A few days later, Alves entered the temporary prison. The judicial procedure was quickly processed and the former FC Barcelona and Brazil national team player will be in the dock on February 5, 6 and 7.
Judge Menina emphasizes that the 2022 Award (recognition of the government delegation in the fight against gender-based violence) “also creates a domino effect.” “When there is a case like the Dani Alves case that has media involvement, Encourages women who are or have been through a situation where they can see themselves reflected and allows them to identify themselves as victims. Also to understand what happened to them and somehow find out strength to face What it means to file a complaint and initiate legal proceedings. There is a mirror effect that helps show people who are wondering whether to report the path to follow. “Perhaps it is difficult for the celebrity accuser to overcome this hurdle,” he adds.
Robinho case
According to an allegation, Robson de Souza ‘Robinho’ raped a 23-year-old girl in a nightclub in Milan with five other friends. Final decision approved by the Italian Supreme Court in January 2022. However, the gang rape took place in January 2013. And Robinho, who has defected to Brazil, has never spent a day in prison despite being sentenced to nine years in prison more than a decade ago.
One of the events that shook the football world was this: Daniel Alves, former Barça and Brazil national team player. El Periódico de Catalunya and Prensa Ibérica Studio produced the podcast ‘On Offside’, which chronicles the downfall of this sports legend. Such cases are usually will be processed quickly. “All cases coming to the courts are evaluated in the same way. It is true that within this homogeneity, certain cases are given priority. Which ones have this preference? Some are urgent, because the person being investigated is in a temporary prison or because there is a case of gender-based violence. Sexual assault cases are preferred. What makes something more preferred is neither its victim nor its attacker, but the subject it deals with.. And in this case, it makes sense that a certain choice is given in sexual assault,” reinforces Lucía Avilés.
“Some of the issues here turned out to be nothing more than stereotypes after all. Both the strong man who always tells the truth and the woman who gives up compensation to avoid being exploited.” judge.
Joel Dominguez Case
18-year-old football player sentenced to 40 days community service for physical abuseone-year distance from the victim (less than 500 metres), prohibition of all communication with him and two-year deprivation of possession of weapons.
The events took place on the first Sunday of June 2023 in the Tamaraceite region (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), where the attacker was located. kicked and pushed the victimHe is being held in cells until he appears before a judge. At the hearing, where the victim did not want to report or undergo a forensic medical examination to prove injuries, it was very important that three witnesses, one of whom was an undercover police officer, were present at the scene. The punishment was imposed after the parties agreed and the player confessed the facts. At the press conference he held after hearing the penalty, the club’s president, Miguel Ángel Ramírez, approved the decision to encourage the player to play for the first team, saying “Joel Domínguez is a kid who made a mistake.”
Immunity on the fields
While there is a social movement in favor of the victims on the streets, there are also places where this movement has not been vaccinated yet. For example, football fields. “There is a kind of schizophrenia in the institutions. After all, sports institutions also have a weight and a responsibility. This has now emerged in the ‘Rubiales case’. An urgent response was also required from the institutions. It has system consistency and social consistency. The stadiums we compete in outside cannot be areas of immunity. sexual violence and gender violence. In order for there to be social coherence, there must also be coherence among all entities and institutions,” Avilés charges.
Santi Mina Case
The Supreme Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA) sentenced 27-year-old football player Santi Mina to four years in prison for sexually abusing a woman in Mojácar (Almería). Mina assaulted the victim in a van parked outside a nightclub and TSJA judges have now backed the woman’s story without “relevant contradictions in essential aspects” of the assault she suffered.
This lack of freedom or consideration in entering the fields deals a serious blow to the progress made in the courts and on the streets. The fact that sports institutions accept and retain players accused or convicted of sexual violence normalizes a completely unjust situation. “There is tolerance towards such crimes.. There is a lot of social tolerance in sports, which is reflected in the tolerance of such institutions. They don’t realize the damage it can cause for generations.. There are many young people who follow these football players and they are happy with everything they do. They admire them“, accuses Avilés.
Arandina Case
Two former Arandina players were convicted of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 15 in 2017. They are in prison to serve a 9-year prison sentence. In December 2019, the Burgos Court convicted 38 years in prison each for three former Arandina Club de Fútbol players -Carlos Cuadrado ‘Lucho’, Víctor Rodríguez ‘Viti’ and Raúl Calvo- For sexual assault of a minor on 24 November 2017.
However, after reviewing the sentence, the Superior Court of Justice of Castilla y León acquitted Calvo and reduced Cuadrado’s sentence to four years. and Rodríguez sentenced to three years in prison Since there was no intimidation, characterize the facts as sexual abuse, not assault.