Football and its pandemic of sexual violence: from the Villa case to Manchester City’s ideal position with Benjamin Mendy

Juan Román Riquelme’s fervent defense of Sebastián Villa, who was denounced last week for sexual abuse and attempted murder, has revived discussion about the measures adopted by clubs in the country and elsewhere. parts of the world in such situations have multiplied in recent years and that, in some cases, have ended in criminal convictions.

“We have nothing but words of gratitude. With this child we have to take off our hats as a professional. Afterwards, what happens off the field is another matter, but it is wonderful to have a player who for two and a half years not missed a single training session ”, highlighted the second vice president, as if it was possible to disassociate that supposedly hindi mistaken Villa from having twice been denounced for acts of sexist violence (a process initiated by his former partner Daniela Cortés is also ongoing).

The accusations against Villa were not the only Boca footballers addressed for this type of incident during the administration of Jorge Amor Ameal and Riquelme, as Eduardo Salvio was also denounced (for injuries in the context of sexual violence of his former partner, Magalí Aravena) and Cristian Pavón (for sexual abuse with carnal access). In any case the players are not included in the squad.

In any case, the accusations are not limited to this administration, because in January 2018, during the presidency of Daniel Angelici, Colombians Wilmar Barrios and Edwin Cardona were accused by three women of injuries, threats and deprivation of liberty. “I believe in the presumption of innocence that the law contemplates. I learned that you have to be calm, wait for the tests. I’m not sure what happened and I can’t make a determination ”, Angelici then justified his decision not to sanction the players.

Boca is not a particular case in this sense, as other clubs have had similar responses to similar events that had as key personnel, among others, Jonatan Cristaldo (Racing), Lucas Mancinelli ( Board of Trustees) and Johan Carbonero (Gymnastics). One of the few unique practices occurred in June 2020, when Vélez separated Miguel Brizuela from his squad after he was accused of physically, verbally and psychologically harming his partner. When the case was filed for lack of evidence, he was reinstated.

Brizuela was also involved in a situation that led to a complaint of sexual abuse at a party held at a house on the Country Camino Real de Boulogne rented by striker Juan Manuel Lucero and in which Thiago Almada and Ricardo also participated Centurión in December 2020.

Upon learning the truth, the club decided that none of the four would play in the team’s next game, against the Patronato, although a week later they were reconsidered. In February 2021, Brizuela and Almada were charged with alleged rape and Vélez separated them from campus, but a week later he sent them back because there was a “significant change” in the case “in effect of the inclusion of new evidence., skills and testimonies ”, the institution explained in a statement.

A path similar to that taken by the Liniers institution with Brizuela was adopted by Estudiantes along with Uruguayan Diego García, who is being prosecuted in a sexual abuse case based on a complaint filed in February 2021 by Clara Bulacio, who is a hockey player at that time.on the lawn of the platense club.

Once aware of the complaint, Students activated their Institutional Protocol of Action for the Prevention and Mediation of Situations of Violence and/or Discrimination for Reasons of Gender and/or Sexual Orientation, which was approved in June by last year: apart from professional staff to the soccer player “until progress has been made in investigating the facts and his procedural situation has been clarified,” according to a statement.

In April of that year, Estudiantes loaned the midfielder to Talleres de Córdoba until the end of 2021 and in February of this year he loaned him to Patronato, a club where he currently plays (he played 11 games in the Professional League Cup and started last week against Deportivo Morón for the Argentine Cup). Her arrival in Paraná caused rejection from feminist organizations in the city.

In February of this year, a year after the fact that led to her complaint, Clara Bulacio posted a letter on her Instagram account in which she rescued the legal approach taken by the club, even if not the treatment she received from noon. . “Students talk about a school, about values ​​and some other things that he didn’t follow me. He turned his back on me and my family, and Estudiantes is my family,” he said.

Outside the borders there are also numerous cases of complaints against soccer players for acts of sexual abuse or sexist violence with tall figures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar as key figures and which in some cases has resulted in criminal convictions such as those received by the Brazilian Robinho, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for participating in the gang rape of a 23-year-old woman at a nightclub in Milan in 2013 , when he was a Milan player.

Just two weeks ago, Celta de Vigo striker Santi Mina was sentenced to four years in prison for an act of sexual abuse committed in Mojácar (Almería) in June 2017, when he was working in Valencia . The Provincial Court of Almería also imposed a restraining order of 500 meters from the victim for 12 years and a fine of 50,000 euros.

Since the beginning of the summary against Mina, in December 2019, Celta has relied on the presumption of innocence to support the footballer on his campus. “Who can judge a man? Until Justice says otherwise, we are all innocent”, Said Eduardo Coudet, coach of the Galician team, last month when the trial ended and all that was left was to wait for the sentence.

Upon learning of the verdict, on May 4, the institution temporarily removed the striker from campus. “Celta respects the player’s right to defensebut it is obliged to take steps against those facts which notoriously tarnish the image of the club and directly attack its values, which again demonstrates the absolute denial of the crime specified in the judicial resolution, ”he explained in a statement.

Manchester City, who suspended Benjamin Mendy in August last year, were quicker when the left-back was arrested, then charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault (the complaint was later extended to seven counts of rape). ). The world champion along with the French team in Russia 2018 was jailed for 134 days, first in Altcourse Prison, in Liverpool, and then in Manchester, and was released on bail in January this year.

However, the City did not allow him to return to practice because the trial the defender will face next week is still pending at Chester Crown Court and where he could be sentenced to life imprisonment if convicted.

Three weeks after Mendy’s release, Manchester had breakfast with another piece of news relating to a jailed player: United striker Mason Greenwood was arrested on January 30 for rape, sexual assault and threats against his former partner, model and influencer Harriet Robson, who a few hours ago published photos in which he was seen with bruises on his face and blood in his mouth, in addition to an audio in which he was threatened of a soccer player.

He was immediately suspended by his club. “We are aware of the images and complaints that are spreading on social networks. Manchester United does not tolerate any kind of violence. Mason Greenwood will not train or play again until the next notice,” the management warned. Although the 20-year-old was released on bail, he did not return to work in the United squad. In addition, Nike delayed his sponsorship contract and the companies EA and Konami removed him from their video games.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has also made drastic decisions over who became the coach of its team, the legendary Ryan Giggs, who in November 2020 was accused of assaulting his partner Kate Greville and his sister. The former Manchester United player was temporarily removed when the accusation became known.

In April 2021, seven weeks before the dragon team’s debut at the European Championship, the FAW decided to definitely stop linking Giggs after Greville’s accusation became formal (his seat in charge of the national team was taken by Robert Page). The trial, to be held in January of this year, was postponed to August because no court was available to conduct it.