José Florentín faces arrest for threatening witnesses in abuse case | OneFootball

In recent hours, the arrest of José Florentín, one of the four former Vélez players accused of rape, has been requested. The request was made before the Tucumán judiciary by the victim's lawyers, who argue that the Paraguayan midfielder filed a counter-complaint to "obstruct the investigation."

The defense team for the young complainant maintains that the footballer engaged in "evidence tampering" and filed a "false complaint." For this reason, they are requesting his immediate arrest and that he remain in pretrial detention.

The document submitted to the court states that Florentín's actions "put the life of the sexual abuse victim at risk" and recalls that the young woman attempted to take her own life a few weeks ago.

"He is committing acts of disturbance, intimidation, and harassment, both directly and indirectly, towards the witnesses and the victim, with the aim of preventing them from testifying or causing the victim to take her own life, which could even constitute another crime such as incitement to suicide," the complainant's lawyers assert.

The family of the player, whose contract with Central Córdoba will end in the coming days, had filed a counter-complaint in October for "false testimony." In it, they accused lawyers Patricia Neme and Franco Venditti of having devised a plan to uphold the serious accusation against the players.

In response, the judiciary quickly ordered raids on the homes of the victim's father and the lawyers, which caused a crisis for the young complainant, who is undergoing psychological treatment.

In March 2024, four footballers who were then part of the Vélez squad were accused by a young sports journalist from Tucumán, who accused them of sexual abuse. The players involved were Sebastián Sosa, Abiel Osorio, José Florentín, and Braian Cufré.

The reported incident allegedly occurred the day after "El Fortín" played a match corresponding to the eighth round of the Copa de la Liga against Atlético Tucumán in that province.

Florentín, like Osorio and Cufré, spent some time under house arrest and was later released. After Vélez terminated his contract, he joined Central Córdoba of Santiago del Estero and signed a contract until December 31, 2025.

Everything seems to indicate that the midfielder will not continue with "El Ferroviario," and Paraguayan media have reported in recent days that, after obtaining permission from the judiciary to leave Argentina, he is in advanced negotiations to join Olimpia.

What penalties do the former Vélez players face?

Braian Cufré and José Florentín are charged as co-perpetrators of sexual abuse with aggravated carnal access due to the involvement of two or more people, and face sentences ranging from eight to twenty years in prison, according to the Penal Code.

Sebastián Sosa, for his part, is accused of aggravated sexual abuse as a secondary participant. In this case, the goalkeeper faces the same sentences as Cufré and Florentín, although due to his level of involvement, the punishment could be much less than that of his teammates. In any case, the minimum sentence would be eight years.

In the case of Abiel Osorio, the 21-year-old player is charged with sexual abuse with carnal access, for which he faces sentences ranging from six to fifteen years in prison.

The case is in the hands of prosecutor Adriana Reinoso Cuello. So far, the case has not been brought to trial and the accused remain free.

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