MADRID, June 15 (Reuters) - Spanish footballer Rafa Mir has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of committing sexual assault and assault causing injury, a court in the eastern Valencia region ruled on Monday.
Women's rights have become a highly sensitive national topic in Spain, especially in the sports world after scandals including former soccer chief Luis Rubiales' unwanted kissing of a national team player or ex-Barcelona star Dani Alves' rape conviction, which was later overturned.
Mir was arrested in September 2024 after a woman filed a sexual assault complaint. His lawyer said at the time that the intercourse was consensual and that Mir categorically denied the accusations.
According to the ruling, Mir and another soccer player met two young women at a nightclub in Valencia and later went to Mir's home to continue the party. At the house, Mir sexually assaulted one of the women in the pool and a bathroom, the court said.
The court highlighted the victim's consistent and credible testimony, supported by witness accounts and forensic reports.
The victim was awarded compensation of €64,000 ($74,300). The decision is not final and can be appealed, the court added.
Mir, who currently plays for LaLiga club Elche, was under contract at six-time league champions Valencia at the time of the incident in 2024. The 28-year-old striker has also played for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sevilla, as well as Spain's national men's team in the Tokyo Olympics.
Elche did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
($1 = 0.8610 euros)
(Reporting by Emma Pinedo; Additional reporting by Javier West Larrañaga; Editing by David Latona and Toby Chopra)
