Spanish police have apprehended three unnamed reserve players from Real Madrid on allegations of distributing a sexually explicit video featuring a minor. These arrests have intensified the ongoing controversy surrounding sexism and male conduct in Spanish football.
Although the players in question are not minors themselves, they were released based on a court decision after authorities seized data from their mobile phones, as indicated in a statement by the police on Thursday.
The case originates from a complaint lodged by the mother of a 16-year-old girl in the Canary Islands, concerning an alleged recording of sexual activity. The police clarified that while the girl asserted that the activities were consensual, the recording took place in June without her consent, and she had only recently become aware of it.
These arrests come in the midst of accusations of sexual misconduct against the former head of the soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, who kissed Spain’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips last month, sparking widespread outrage.
Rubiales resigned on Sunday after resisting calls for his resignation for weeks and is scheduled to appear before a judge on Friday. He maintains that the kiss was consensual and mutual.
The police disclosed that the three players were apprehended at the Real Madrid sports complex in Madrid, and a fourth player is currently under investigation. Among those arrested, one is a player for the reserve team, while the other two belong to the third team.
Real Madrid issued a statement acknowledging that four youth team players were questioned by the police “in connection with a complaint about an alleged release of a private video via WhatsApp messaging system.”
According to El Confidencial newspaper, the primary focus of the investigation centers on a player from the third team who allegedly recorded his sexual encounter with the 16-year-old.
All three players are suspected of committing a criminal offense known in Spanish law as “revealing secrets of a sexual nature,” as stated by a police spokesperson.
