Rafa Mir, who is currently on loan at Elche CF from Sevilla, has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison by a Valencia court, which found him guilty of sexual assault involving penetration and assault causing bodily harm.
The judges concluded that the victim had not consented to either of the two acts considered during the trial. However, Mir will not begin serving the sentence until the ruling becomes final, as he retains the right to appeal.
The court also ordered the footballer to pay €64,000 in compensation to the victim.
Mir Announces Appeal
Mir, who was on loan at Elche until June 30, rejected the ruling in a brief statement published on Instagram.
“I disagree with the sentence, and we will appeal in the coming days. I continue to trust in the justice system,” he wrote.
The striker, who scored eight goals for Elche during the season, continues to maintain that the encounter was consensual.
The case relates to events at Mir’s home in Bétera on the night of August 31, 2024. During the trial, Mir denied sexually assaulting the woman and answered questions only from his lawyer, stating that “everything was consensual.”
The victim, however, described two incidents of sexual assault involving penetration. She testified that she cried, struggled to breathe, felt afraid and repeatedly asked Mir to stop.
Court Finds Victims’ Accounts Credible
According to the judgment, the evidence established the offences “beyond doubt.” The court placed significant weight on the testimony of the two complainants, whose accounts it described as consistent, coherent and detailed throughout the investigation and trial.
The judges said the principal victim’s testimony was supported by witness statements and a forensic psychological report presented by two experts.
The court also highlighted her repeated requests to obtain security-camera footage from Mir’s home. She was later informed that the cameras were not operating at the time. The judges considered those requests significant, reasoning that she would have had little reason to seek the footage had the events not occurred as she described.
The ruling also referred critically to the conduct of Bétera Local Police officers who attended the incident. Both women said the officers appeared indifferent to their safety and allegedly laughed along with the accused.
The court identified serious contradictions between the officers’ accounts and those of the complainants and said their conduct should be investigated. One officer claimed Mir stopped when instructed to do so, while another said the victim had described the encounter as consensual. The judges ultimately gave greater evidential weight to the women’s testimony.
The judgment is not yet final and remains subject to appeal.
