A former volleyball player has testified before the Provincial Court of Las Palmas that she suffered groping and was raped by her coach when she was a minor, for whom the prosecution is seeking 12 years in prison for a continuous offense of sexual assault.
The young woman, who moved to Gran Canaria to play in the 2021-2022 season, explained that she trusted the accused, whom she saw as a brother, and that the events occurred after she started going to his house to study. The complaint was filed by a friend's mother months after she revealed it to him.
Messages recovered from the accused's mobile phone, which he had deleted, reveal conversations where he tells her he feels he committed 'a rape' and 'I know you didn't want to,' according to the investigating officers. It also emerges that she excused him, which is attributed to the relationship of superiority and esteem the minor felt for him.
The victim, who was 16 years old upon arriving on the island, recounted that she would become 'blocked' during the groping and that he would only stop when she started crying, stating, 'He knew what he was doing and it wasn't a mistake, as he told me'.
She described herself as 'very vulnerable' at that time and assured that she 'never' wanted anything with the accused, who 'took advantage' of her situation. The young woman could not speak about what had happened until months after leaving the island.
As a consequence of the events, the victim has stated that she has been unable to maintain sexual relations, her studies were affected, and she suffers from anxiety. She seeks compensation and, above all, 'justice'.
The accused's mother, who even hosted the coach at her home on the mainland, stated that they 'at no time' suspected a relationship between her daughter and the accused, learning of the events from the institute's counselor.
The mother of a friend of the victim, who filed the initial complaint, explained that she did so due to the seriousness of the events, as she 'did not want to report under any circumstances'.
Roommates of the victim testified that they were unaware of the events, although one of them pointed out that 'everyone could see something was going on there' due to the coach's 'interest' and that the victim seemed 'uncomfortable' with him.
The accused's employment relationship with the team ceased as a consequence of the complaint, although its president indicated that he 'never noticed anything strange'.
The trial will continue on Tuesday with the testimony of experts and the accused.
