Diego García, ex-Estudiantes player, gets 6+ years for assault | OneFootball

A court in La Plata has delivered a verdict for Uruguayan Diego García, who was tried for a crime committed in February 2021.

The Oral Criminal Court V of La Plata, presided over by Judge Ezequiel Medrano, sentenced this Tuesday the former Estudiantes de La Plata footballer, Diego García, to six years and eight months in prison for the crime of sexual abuse. The sentence brings to a close a judicial process that began in 2021, following the complaint filed by the victim, Clara Bulacio.

Prosecutor Lucas Domsky had requested a sentence of eight years in prison, considering it proven that García sexually abused the young woman in a context of gender-based violence. In contrast, the player’s defense requested his acquittal, arguing that “the relationship was consensual.” After the verdict was announced, the footballer’s lawyers confirmed that they would appeal the conviction.

Immediate detention and termination of his contract at Peñarol

After the verdict was read, the court ordered the immediate detention of García, who will serve house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor and police custody. Minutes after hearing the sentence, the footballer fainted in the courtroom and had to be assisted by medical staff.

The conviction also triggered a contractual clause at Peñarol, his last club, which stipulated the automatic termination of the contract in the event of a guilty verdict. Thus, García was immediately released from the Uruguayan club.

The case: a complaint that marked his career

The incident for which he was convicted took place on February 24, 2021, at a country house in Abasto, where several Estudiantes players had gathered. According to the complaint, the 21-year-old woman—a hockey player at the club—was waiting to use the bathroom when García grabbed her by force, entered with her, and sexually abused her.

Following the complaint, Estudiantes de La Plata activated its gender protocols and removed the footballer from the professional squad. Although he later returned to training, he never played for the club again. He subsequently played for Talleres, Patronato, Emelec, Liverpool, and finally Peñarol, which parted ways with the player today after the sentence was confirmed.

The conviction, one of the most significant in Argentine sports regarding gender-based violence, sets an important precedent regarding the criminal and social responsibility of professional athletes.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.