Schjelderup set for court date, Benfica star splits opinion in Norway | OneFootball

Andreas Schjelderup will have to appear before the Danish justice system on November 19, in Copenhagen. The Benfica winger is at the center of a controversy, after pleading guilty in a case related to the sharing of sexual videos involving minors.

The Danish publication Nettavisen reports that the date is already set, and that there is even a time for Schjelderup to be heard by a judge: it will be at 1:15 PM, in a hearing that should not last more than 45 minutes, leaving the player free around 2:00 PM local time. This date falls in the middle of Norway's matches and Benfica's Portuguese Cup game against Atlético (which takes place on November 21).

Schjelderup is accused of violating article 235, second paragraph, of the Danish Penal Code, which deals with the sharing of sexual material involving minors under 18 years old. The penalty can range from a fine to up to one year in prison. However, the hearing will be treated as a confession case, due to the player's stance, which is expected to have significant weight in the judge's decision.

The Benfica player himself has already pleaded guilty, and, also considering that he has no criminal record, it is expected that the judge will assign a suspended sentence to Andreas Schjelderup. It should be noted that Rui Costa, President of the Eagles, has already positioned himself in support of the Norwegian player.

Moreover, the case is dividing Norway, with the media giving significant attention to the situation. The national team's coach has already said that he maintains Schjelderup's call-up to the National Team, but many inhabitants of the Nordic country question the decision, arguing that the sporting aspect is overshadowing a serious social issue.

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