Justice in Gran Canaria: Former Real Madrid players receive sentence for child pornography case
The court case involving several former members of the Real Madrid youth academy has reached its resolution in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Footballers Ferrán Ruiz, Juan Rodríguez, and Andrés García have accepted a one-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to crimes related to child pornography, stemming from the recording of intimate content without consent during the summer of 2023.
On the other hand, the first-team defender, Raúl Asencio, has been acquitted of all charges. The decision was made possible thanks to a plea agreement reached between all parties involved, after the two young women affected, one of whom was under 16 years of age at the time of the events, granted their forgiveness to the athletes.
The impact of forgiveness on the legal process
The forgiveness expressed by the victims proved decisive for the outcome of the trial. In the case of Raúl Asencio, this gesture nullified the charge of disclosure of secrets that hung over him, for having received and shown a video recorded without permission. Likewise, this mitigating factor allowed the Prosecutor’s Office to adjust the sentencing request for the other three defendants, who originally faced prison requests exceeding four years.
The victims’ forgiveness has been fundamental to closing this process, allowing for the application of mitigating factors and the suspension of custodial sentences under strict conditions of conduct and awareness-raising.
Judgment details and precautionary measures
- Suspension of sentence: Ferrán Ruiz, Juan Rodríguez, and Andrés García will not enter prison, provided they do not commit new crimes for a period of two years and complete a sexual awareness course.
- Restrictions: The three convicted individuals must comply with a two-year restraining order regarding the minor victim.
- Disqualification: They have been imposed a three-year ban from practicing professions or trades that involve direct contact with minors.
- Legal costs: The three sentenced individuals must cover the costs of the trial, while Asencio is exempt from this obligation.
The events, which took place at a beach club in Amadores, Gran Canaria, centered on the unauthorized distribution of audiovisual material through messaging applications, despite the express requests of the young women for said content to be deleted. Following the verdict, the defendants, with the exception of Andrés García, expressed their formal apologies to the victims.
