Sports instructor sentenced to one year in prison for sexually assaulting pupil in Jaén
The Provincial Court of Jaén has imposed a one-year prison sentence on a 31-year-old sports instructor for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old pupil during multi-sport activities at a school in the province.
Sports instructor convicted of sexual assault on minor at school in Jaén
The Provincial Court of Jaén has handed down a one-year prison sentence against a 31-year-old sports instructor for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old pupil during multi-sport activities held at a school in the province, according to ABC. The Public Prosecution Service had sought two years in prison for the same offence.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the ruling includes a three-year ban on the convicted man contacting or approaching the victim. The defendant is also disqualified from exercising any profession, occupation or activity—remunerated or otherwise—that involves regular and direct contact with minors for a period exceeding two years beyond the custodial sentence imposed. Court costs are also to be borne by him. As the claimant did not request compensation for civil liability, the court made no award.
The incidents took place on 1 June 2022, when the accused was employed by a company as a sports instructor at the school. Taking advantage of his position, he attempted to subject the young woman to touching, which she refused. He then proposed to her "to meet outside the school".
The pupil testified that everything happened while she was playing in a football match and had stopped to rest. "He looked at me a lot," she stated, and explained that during that break the accused positioned himself behind her and "rubbed himself against me". When she went to sit on a bench next to a friend, the instructor approached her and suggested they meet outside the school. The minor got up and immediately reported it to one of the school's staff, who asked the instructor to leave the premises.
The victim's statement—by then an adult at the time of trial—was incorporated into the proceedings as pre-constituted evidence, reproducing the testimony she had given before the court during the investigation phase.
The instructor denied the allegations throughout the trial. He claimed not to know the girl and stated: "I had no conversation with that girl". He also emphasised that he had worked for years as a sports and leisure instructor without any complaints being made against him.
According to the ruling, the assault caused the pupil "anxious, depressive and post-traumatic symptoms, low self-esteem, feelings of guilt and shame and sleep problems".
Following the complaint, the court imposed as a precautionary measure a ban on approaching the victim within 100 metres of any place she habitually frequented, as well as a ban on communication by any means. The ruling is not yet final and an appeal may be made to the Court of Justice of Andalusia.
Source: ABC