How the proceedings against the Vélez players for sexual abuse continue: the request of two players and the strong criticism of the victim’s lawyer

The judicial decision issued by the judge on Wednesday Eliana Gomez Moreiraafter a long hearing lasting more than 10 hours, marked a milestone in the case of aggravated sexual abuse involving players Velez Abiel Osorio, José Fiorentino, Brian Cufre AND Sebastiano Sosa. Although each faces their own legal situation, they all share the common goal of leaving the cell they are in from Monday to Investigation Directorate of the Tucumán Police.

The judge ruled that Osorio, Florentín and Cufré get the House arrest for a period of 90 days, on the condition of establishing residence in Tucumán and maintaining a minimum distance of 400 meters from the victim, as well as abstaining from any contact with her. In the meantime, Sebastiano Sosathe fourth person involved was released on parole until trial, but will not be able to leave the country.

One of the main obstacles faced by defendants is applying for bail 50 million pesos to guarantee him house arrest. However, this figure does not seem to be an impediment, since players are willing to offer the money necessary to speed up the procedures.

The transfer of the funds should take place this Friday, with the hope that by the weekend the three players under house arrest will be installed in an apartment in Tucumán, while Sosa will return free to Buenos Aires.

As regards accommodation in the provincial capital, Cufré and Osorio evaluate the possibility of renting the same property, since they share the same lawyer and there are no restrictions in this regard. On the other hand, the Paraguayan lawyer Florentín is looking for a suitable place where his client can host his family. Even though he was under house arrest, There are no limits to the number of people who can accompany players in this new situation..

In addition to the challenge of securing bail, players face another difficulty: a shortage of electronic bracelets to monitor their movements. This has led them to sign up to a waiting list, although this situation is expected to be resolved with the implementation of police patrols to ensure compliance with the rules.

The players’ lawyers instead appealed against the court’s decision, asking for the provision to be reviewed. Tucumán Justice is considering a date for a challenge hearing, in which a judge will reconsider the original decision and could confirm or revoke it, which could lead to the release of the defendants.

Regarding the nature of the charges, Cufré and Florentín Bobadilla are accused of sexual abuse aggravated by the commission of the crime in a group, with penalties ranging from 8 and 20 years in prison. Osorio, for his part, is accused of simple sexual abuse with carnal access, with penalties ranging from from 6 to 15 years. Sosa was charged with secondary participation, which allows him to remain on probation while the court process continues.

The anger of the victim’s lawyer

Beyond the fact that the Vélez players will be deprived of their freedom, the defense of the 24-year-old girl who reported the abuse that occurred at the Hilton hotel in Tucumán on the weekend in which Fortín faced Atlético, criticized Justice’s decision to grant house arrest was harsh.

Juan Andrés Robles confirmed on Friday that I disagree because “There is a lack of gender perspective from women”. He said they should be in a normal prison, but they got the privilege “because they are football players.”.

“We are left with the bitter feeling that there is no equal treatment. If this happened to any citizen, he or she would be completely imprisoned. We consider this type of injustice to be very serious. Our client is very disappointed with the sentence and so are we in particular,” he said. explained in statements to La Red radio in Buenos Aires.

“These types of situations show us that there is an imbalance between the parties. That we are faced with very powerful, very rich people with many resources. And it could be these types of situations that we are seeing and are reporting, what to do not it is resolved for everyone in the same way”, he concluded.