The Spanish footballer Santi Mina was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of sexual abuse. The 26-year-old Celta Vigo forward has appealed against the sentence. Mina was cleared of the sexual aggression charge he was also facing, which is associated to intimidation or violence against the victim.
Celta, who play in La Liga, said they had preventively removed the player from their squad until the appeal process concludes. They also opened disciplinary proceedings to determine the options the club can take.
The state prosecutor had requested a sentence of eight years in prison for Mina, while the victim’s lawyers were seeking nine and a half years.
David Goldar, who played for the lower-division club Ibiza, was found not guilty after being accused of being an accomplice.
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Mina and Goldar said the woman consented to their sexual relations. The woman accused Mina of raping her in a camper van in 2017, where she had gone with Goldar. Her lawyer said Goldar did nothing to stop Mina from raping her.
At the time, Mina was playing for Valencia. He returned to his boyhood club in Vigo in 2019.
The ruling by the lower court can be appealed to Spain’s supreme court.
Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html