Valencia player accused of sexual assault claims innocence
Rafa Mir and another man allegedly committed a crime against two women at the player’s house
Valencia striker Rafa Mir, accused of sexual assault , has claimed his innocence in the case in a statement published on social media on Monday. Last week, the player was arrested on the charges and released two days later , shortly after giving testimony to the Spanish courts.
– After a period of reflection, I want to make my innocence clear. As soon as I was able to work on equal terms with the accusations, the case took an important turn that shows how unfounded the accusation is. I have full confidence in the Administration of Justice of this country, with which I have collaborated from the very first minute to clarify the facts – declared Rafa Mir in the statement.
The player is responding to the case at liberty and must comply with precautionary measures: not leaving Spain, reporting to the court every two weeks, staying at least 500 meters away from the complainants and not contacting them.
Valencia also spoke out on Monday and, in a statement, informed that it will apply disciplinary measures against the player:
– Valencia has analysed the situation from the point of view of the sanctions regime applicable in professional football and has decided to take disciplinary measures. Specifically, the club will proceed to open proceedings against Rafa Mir, as it understands that his conduct, during his rest time, undeniably affects the professional performance expected of him as a player of this club, and also undermines the trust that our fans have in all of their players – the club stated.
According to the Spanish press, Rafa Mir is the target of two accusations of sexual assault against a 21-year-old woman, in addition to another against the sexual freedom of a second woman. A friend of the player was also arrested and later released.
The women filed a complaint and required hospital care. The player spent two nights in a cell at the Civil Guard Command in Patraix.
Defense attorney Jaime Campaner stated that Rafa Mir had consensual sexual relations with the young woman at the player’s house in Bétera, after they had returned from a party. According to the complaint, she was attacked by the attacker when she left the room, being pushed into the pool; once in the water, she was touched to the point of suffering a first sexual assault. Then, again according to the complaint, Rafa Mir forced her into a bathroom and assaulted her for the second time.
The complaint also states that the screams alerted the other woman, and the player’s friend hit her on the lips, causing injuries. The player finally threw the two women out, half-naked, a scene that was caught on camera by a neighbor who alerted the police, according to the Spanish press.
Rafa Mir belongs to Sevilla and was loaned to Valencia this season. The Spaniard spent most of his youth training at the club and was at Valencia Mestalla, Valencia’s B team, when he joined Wolverhampton in 2018. He was loaned out to Las Palmas, Nottingham Forest and Huesca, until he was bought by Sevilla in 2021. Three years later, he returned to Valencia, which has an option to buy in its contract.
Check out Rafa Mir’s statement in full:
After a period of reflection, I want to make clear my innocence, reiterating the content of the statement issued by my lawyer Jaime Campaner. As soon as I was able to work on equal terms with the accusations, the case took an important turn that shows how unfounded the accusation is. I have full confidence in the Administration of Justice of this country, with which I have collaborated from the very beginning to clarify the facts.
For all of this, I would like to express my most sincere and profound apologies to my club, Valencia, to the coaching staff, to my teammates and especially to the Valencia fans, for not complying, even on a free day, with the strict schedule expected of a professional, especially after a start to the season that was far from our expectations. From now on, as a professional player, all my energy is focused on helping my club and my teammates.
I don’t want to forget to thank my family for the love and support they have shown me at all times. Their love and truth will help me overcome this traumatic situation that I am experiencing.
That said, on the advice of my lawyer, we will work in the courts and not in the media or on social media.
