Abhay Singh
Valencia striker Rafa Mir, aged 27, took a firm stance on Thursday and vehemently refuted allegations of sexual assault leveled against him, after being conditionally released from custody for further investigation. He issued a sincere plea for the public to uphold the principle of presumption of innocence, emphasizing the importance of being given a fair chance to defend himself.
Mir’s arrest on Monday came in response to a complaint lodged by a woman, and he presented his testimony before a judge on Wednesday, marking a critical juncture in the ongoing legal proceedings.
“The criminal proceedings will clarify the events”
The judge, who recently approved his conditional release, will now take charge of conducting a thorough investigation to determine the strength of the evidence available against Mir.
This inquiry aims to ascertain whether there is adequate proof to proceed with a trial or if the case warrants being dismissed altogether.
Jaime Campaner, Mir’s Lawyer said “Rafa Mir categorically denies the accusations against him… The criminal proceedings will clarify the events and will show that the accusation does not stand up,”
The court declared that Mir was the subject of an investigation into an alleged offense of sexual assault with sexual relations. Throughout the investigation, he cannot leave the nation and must periodically appear in court.
The player has been given Thursday and Friday off
Mir has also played for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sevilla, which loaned him to his childhood club Valencia.
According to a Valencia source, the player was given off on Thursday and Friday and may resume training on Monday.
Last year, in a decision that shocked the football community, Celta Vigo, a prominent LaLiga club, chose to unilaterally terminate the contract of player Santi Mina. This decision came after a court sentenced Mina to serve four years in prison for his involvement in a distressing incident of sexual abuse against a woman in the year 2017.
Prior to his conviction in 2022, Mina had continued to represent both Valencia and Celta on the field.
In yet another highly publicized legal episode, Brazilian football star Dani Alves found himself gaining freedom in March as he was released from a Spanish detention facility.
This development followed his completion of approximately a quarter term of his original four-and-a-half-year sentence. The charges against him stemmed from an incident at a nightclub in 2022, where he was convicted of raping a woman in the establishment’s restroom.
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