By Canadian Press

2 Spanish soccer players face prison on rape charge

Apr 1, 2022 | 6:39 AM

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The rape trial involving Celta Vigo forward Santi Mina and another Spanish soccer player closed Friday with both men maintaining their innocence.

The state prosecutor is asking for eight years of prison for Mina, while the alleged victim’s own lawyers are seeking 9 1/2 years.

David Goldar, who plays for lower-division club Ibiza, is accused of being an accomplice. The woman’s lawyer is asking for 4 1/2 years in prison for him.

The verdict is expected in the coming weeks, the court’s press office told The Associated Press. The ruling by the lower court can be appealed to Spain’s Supreme Court.

The woman accused Mina of raping her in a camper van, where she had gone with Goldar. Her lawyer said that Goldar did nothing to stop Mina from raping her. The incident occurred in the southern Spanish province of Almería in 2017.

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The two players say the woman consented to their sexual relations.

At the time of the incident, Mina was playing for Valencia. The 26-year-old forward has since returned to his boyhood club in Vigo.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press