Volleyball coach in Gran Canaria sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting underage player
The Las Palmas Provincial Court has imposed a sentence of imprisonment and nine years of supervised release on a volleyball coach who sexually abused an athlete for six months in 2022.
Volleyball coach in Gran Canaria sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting underage player
A court in Las Palmas has imposed a sentence of eight and a half years in prison on a fitness trainer on the island after finding him guilty of repeatedly committing sexual abuse with penetration against a teenager who trained under his supervision in a volleyball squad, according to reports from ABC.
The events under investigation occurred during the first half of 2022. The girl, who lived alone in the archipelago, found in the coach a figure of reference both in sports and personal matters. The magistrate considers it established that the defendant exploited this dependency in order to perpetrate the attacks.
The court assessed that the evidence provided was conclusive in overturning the presumption of innocence. Among the elements supporting the sentence are the consistency of the testimony, its persistence throughout the proceedings, and external corroborations obtained.
Medical assessments show that the young woman presents a clinical picture compatible with post-traumatic stress disorder and moderate-intensity anxiety. The judicial body took this psychological damage into account when determining the amount of compensation.
The ruling, which is not yet final, also imposes a period of judicial supervision of nine years on the defendant following his release. Furthermore, it prohibits him from exercising parental authority, guardianship, or any guardianship function for a decade, and disqualifies him from working in professions involving regular contact with minors for fifteen years.
The sentence establishes financial compensation of €15,000 in favour of the victim and orders him to maintain a minimum distance of 500 metres from her, as well as banning any form of contact for fifteen years.
Source: ABC