Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio has broken his silence following serious legal accusations implicating him in a child pornography case.
The 22-year-old was reportedly charged by the Court of Instruction No. 3 of San Bartolome de Tirajana, along with former teammates Andres Garcia, Ferran Ruiz, and Juan Rodriguez.
The group stands accused of recording and sharing explicit sexual footage involving two women – one of whom is allegedly a minor – without their consent.
The investigation has reportedly uncovered evidence suggesting breaches of several articles of the Spanish Criminal Code.
These include the unlawful discovery of private secrets and violations of privacy (Article 197.1), the dissemination of intimate content without consent (Article 197.3), and offences relating to the use of minors for pornographic purposes as well as possession of child pornography (Article 189, sections 1 and 5).
The charges were confirmed just before Real Madrid beat Mallorca on Wednesday night, casting a shadow over the match.
In response to the growing media scrutiny, Asencio has issued a public statement through the Spanish press, addressing the allegations and attempting to defend his position.
This marks the first time the player has spoken out since the scandal emerged, as the case continues to attract national attention.
Asencio’s statement said:
Further to the clarification issued today by the President of the Court of Instruction No. 3 of San Bartolomé de Tirajana – in which the indictment originally issued is rectified, expressly excluding me both from the recording of videos with sexual content and from the events that were the subject of this recording – and in view of the public dissemination of information relating to this procedure, I want to state the following:
1. I have not participated in any behavior that infringes on the sexual freedom of a woman, let alone a minor. This is confirmed by the decision of the above-mentioned court, which does not attribute to me the fact that I had sexual relations with the two women involved, nor did I record them, with or without their consent. Similarly, the court order clarifies that it was not I who sent to third parties any intimate images or videos that, I repeat, were recorded in a location other than the one where I was.
2. The court order, as far as I am concerned, limits its content to the possible momentary viewing of images by a third party, without attributing to me any participation in their recording or dissemination.
3. The charge against me, as expressly stated in the court’s decision, is strictly provisional in nature. Therefore, the presumption of innocence must continue to prevail. In the event that charges are finally brought and an oral trial is opened, I will continue to defend myself before the Courts and Tribunals, in which I have full confidence, by reaffirming that I am not guilty of any criminal act. All this without prejudice to the utmost respect I have for the conduct of the judicial process as a whole, including the other persons under investigation.
4. I wish to reaffirm, once again, my absolute respect for the rights to sexual freedom and privacy of all women.