The trial of Jorge Martínez for sexual abuse: what the former Boca coach said before meeting the complainant again in court

“I’m innocent”. Jorge Martinezformer full-back and retired coach of the Women’s First Division team Mouthappeared this Friday to address the trial for sexual abuse following the complaint by Florence Marcowho was the team’s press officer and

Upon his arrival at the Comodoro Py court, the former coach spoke to the press. “I’m happy because the day has come to prove my innocence, this is the peace of mind I have, so I’m happy that the trial is taking place”he has declared.

Martínez, who presented as witnesses Jorge Bermúdez, Raúl Cascini and Marcelo Delgado – supporters of president Juan Román Riquelme on the club’s football board – promised to show “evidence” after the hearing and said he had suffered “a lot” during this period.

The case

In the vortex caused by the scandal of the four Vélez Sarsfield players accused of sexually abusing a sports journalist, a similar case discovered in March last year comes to light again. This is Jorge Martínez, former player and technical director of the Boca First Division women’s team, accused of sexual abuse by Florencia Marcó, former press manager of the team.

After being tried by Justice, Martínez denied all the accusations and did not want to testify, but in any case testimonies were collected that validated Marcó’s complaint. One year later, it has been confirmed that the oral trial will begin this Friday at 9am in Comodoro Py at the Oral Criminal and Correctional Court No. 22. And it will end on the same day.

Florencia Marcó has been an employee of Boca for 11 years and is currently on leave for psychological treatment. Martínez took over as coach of the women’s team in January 2022. It took Marcó a year to find the courage to file a formal complaint with Justice on 7 March 2023. A month later, Martínez was removed from his post.

“I report that he touched my butt. But in reality he had already touched other parts of my body without my consent”Marco recalled his complaint in an interview with the TyC Sports channel.

After a year of denunciation, Marco relaunches the importance of raising his voice on these issues, especially in the football field. The complainant said: “I hope that abuse, harassment and violence stop being naturalised, that they start to find their rightful place, especially in a space like the one I found myself in, which is that of women’s football.” awareness of the damage that abuse generates”.

His words serve as a wake-up call for the world of football, where cases of abuse or gender-based violence by players, coaches and relatives are increasingly being recorded. Last Wednesday, the hearing was held for the complaint against Braian Cufré, Abiel Osorio, José Florentín and Sebastián Sosa, footballers from Vélez, for sexually abusing a sports journalist in Tucumán. The top three players were given house arrest for 90 days, while the Uruguayan goalkeeper was granted parole.

Jorge Martínez will be tried for simple sexual abuse, which carries a sentence of 6 months to 4 years in prison (up to 3 years can be released). According to Marco’s lawyer, Andrea Luncaglioli, only one judge, Sergio Paduczak, will intervene, given the seriousness of the crime.