Argentine football moves between lights and shadows, in recent times. While the title of world champions puts the Albiceleste at the top, in return, complaints of abuse that involve different footballers or club representatives do not stop happening week after week. This Monday, the case of Florencia Marco, press manager of the Boca women’s team, who had denounced Jorge Martínez for sexual abuse, once again gained notoriety. It happens that the former coach’s lawyer requested the judge’s recusal and the annulment of the trial, on the same day that the ruling was to be announced and delayed the entire judicial process.
“The grounds for the challenge are very clear. The judge, throughout the oral debate on Friday, took the position of becoming a prosecutor of the case, not an impartial judge. Asking induced, insistent, leading questions “All to try to force witnesses to affirm a situation that never existed,” argued lawyer Ángel Romero when questioning the work of Judge Sergio Paduczak, during the oral trial that began last Friday.
Martínez, for his part, also expressed himself and assured that “we are going to denounce the judge for irregularities and we are going to request the annulment of the case.” “15 witnesses passed by and no one confirmed the touching. Why are they denouncing me? You would have to ask Miss (Florencia) Marco,” added the former Independiente, River, Boca, Chicago, Olimpo and Platense soccer player.
The complainant had shown confidence in the judicial process, prior to hearing this request from the accused’s defense: “I am calm, I believe that today is going to be a day in which the truth is going to come to light, and it is going to be to do justice despite this pact of chivalry between the members of the Football Council. I hope not only for myself, but for all the people who went through and are going through this situation,” said Marco.
However, after being notified of the request, the woman left in tears. Now, Judge Patricia Elisa Cusmanich will be in charge of whether or not to accept the defense’s request in the next 48 hours and, if accepted, she will be the one who will take the case.
The case
Marco went to court in March 2023 after the indifference with which Boca treated his complaint, made in the first instance before the club’s Inclusion and Gender department, chaired by Adriana Bravo, also third vice president of the institution. The complainant had warned Boca authorities in February that during 2022 she had been harassed, abused and groped by Martínez, but the club asked her to take a leave of absence and let the coach continue his duties as head of the women’s team.
When more than a month passed and the situation did not change, the journalist presented her complaint to the Courts. Only then did Boca release Martínez.
“They neglected and unprotected me, and they protected and cared for the abuser. Bravo was there every day and he saw what was happening, that is the part that hurts me the most. The person who had to take care of the victims exposed them and put them in danger, and on top of that there were minors. I have the usual phone number and, once I filed the complaint, they never called me. And when the complaint was not formally presented, they did not answer my calls either,” Marco said in a recent interview.
The crime of simple sexual abuse provides penalties of four months to six years in prison. Before becoming a coach, Martínez had an extensive career as a footballer: between 1993 and 2010 he was a defender for Boca, River and Independiente, among other teams, and in 1997 he played three games for the Argentine national team.
Shadows
Boca’s “inattention” or institutional insensitivity is a paradox if one takes into account that the Club de la Ribera is the greatest champion of women’s soccer in Argentina, with 28 titles in its history – the last four consecutively – against 11 of his closest pursuer, River.
In addition, Las Gladiadoras, as the Xeneize women’s team is nicknamed, are also the only team in the country made up solely of professional players, while the rest of the teams alternate amateur soccer players. This shows the importance that the institution gives it.
Likewise, it is necessary to consider the context of Argentine football in its entirety, since the oral trial against Martínez is taking place at a time of multiplication of complaints against footballers and other male actors in Argentine football: last week, four Vélez players Sarsfield were detained in Tucumán, after being denounced by a local journalist of sexual abuse with carnal access. Pending the trial, the Buenos Aires club has already terminated their contract.
A few days later, it was learned that two Godoy Cruz de Mendoza players were also arrested for abusing a young woman.
And we must not forget the already known cases: the former Boca forward, the Colombian Sebastián Villa – currently in Bulgaria – was sentenced last year to two years and one month in prison – suspended – for gender violence against Daniela Cortes, his ex-partner
In addition, two regular national team footballers, Thiago Almada and Gonzalo Montiel, face complaints in court for sexual violence in different incidents. Almada, former Vélez striker and currently at Atlanta United in the United States, is being investigated for an alleged double aggravated abuse that occurred in 2020, while Montiel, now a defender for Nottingham Forest in England and former River player, was charged last year with the alleged crime of sexual abuse with carnal access, aggravated by the participation of two people. Both cases remain open.
2024-03-26 03:01:00
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