Another football player has been charged with sexual assault, this time it is Celta Vigo striker Santi Mina. The striker has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of sexual abuse. The 26-year-old striker will appeal against the verdict. David Goldar, who plays for Spanish second-tier side Ibiza, was found not guilty after being accused of being an accomplice to the act.
Santi Mina was accused of raping a woman in a camper van in 2017, where she had gone with Goldar. Her lawyer said Goldar did nothing to stop Mina from raping her. Santi Mina and Goldar said the woman consented to their sexual relations. Mina was cleared of the sexual aggression charge he was also facing, which is associated with intimidation or violence against the victim.
The striker was playing for Valencia at the time but returned to boyhood club Celta Vigo in 2019. Celta has removed Mina from the squad while the appeals process is ongoing and has also opened disciplinary proceedings against the former Spain Under-21 international.
The ruling by the lower court can be appealed against by Spain’s Supreme Court. The state prosecutor had asked for eight years in prison for Mina, while the victim’s lawyers were seeking nine-and-a-half years. Mina has made more than 150 appearances for Celta over two spells at the club and has scored 11 goals in 40 games this season.