The Colombian striker from Boca Sebastián Villa was formally charged in the case that investigates him for the sexual abuse of a young woman, which occurred in July of last year at his home in a country house in the Canning district of Buenos Aires. His defense proposed an expert witness to participate in the psychiatric examination to which the victim will be subjected in the coming days, according to judicial sources reported on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the lawyer Roberto Castillo, who represents the complainant, assured that with the evidence provided so far, the xeneize striker – who turned 26 this Thursday and was congratulated by the Boca Juniors Club on all his social networks despite the existence of this file – “should be called to give an investigative statement” and “It would not be unreasonable” for him to be sentenced to preventive detention due to the procedural risk that exists if he remains at liberty.
The prosecutor Vanesa González, in charge of the Functional Unit of Instructions (UFI) 3 Specialized in Family and Gender Violence, Sexual Abuse and Crimes Related to Trafficking in Persons of Lomas de Zamora, notified Villa of his rights as a defendant. According to the researchers, The defense of the soccer player, headed by the lawyer Martín Apolo, accepted the position and appointed an expert witness to participate in the psychological and psychiatric expert opinion to which the victim will be subjected in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor González summoned for this Friday a testimonial statement to the doctor from the Penna Hospital who treated the complainant – whose identity is preserved – and who advised her to file the complaint because she had injuries compatible with sexual abuse.
Attorney Castillo confirmed that, in his opinion, the Boca player is in a position to be called for an investigative statement after the evidence provided to the file.
“Because of the expectation of punishment and the procedural risk that exists I consider that it would not be unreasonable to think that a preventive detention would be issued”, the lawyer added in this regard, in statements to the Urbana Play radio.
For the lawyer, the procedural risks to dictate preventive detention are, in addition to the expectation of punishment, the obstruction of the criminal process “by trying to contact different witnesses” and that because he is a foreign person he has no roots in Argentina. “All last year he said he wants to leave Boca Juniors.”Castillo said.
“The victim was harassed after the fact, I consider that manipulation, taking advantage of a girl who was in a state of vulnerability and loneliness. (The young woman) could not believe that a person she loved somehow ended up doing this action “, said the lawyer. The complaint against Villa was filed last Friday at UFI 3 in Esteban Echeverría, by prosecutor González.
In the last hours, the judge of Guarantees 2 of Lomas de Zamora, Javier Maffucci Moore, issued a precautionary measure that includes a perimeter restriction and an impediment of contact between Villa and the victim, but he rejected a request for a ban on leaving the country for the soccer player, since it was adopted in the previous case for gender violence against his ex-partner last year and is still in force, the sources said.
On Monday, the complainant ratified her accusation and presented more evidence to the Justice, who called four witnesses to testify and ordered a series of measures, including notifying Boca Juniors of the complaint made by the victim so that an alleged protocol on gender violence in the club is activated.
The prosecutor also issued a letter to the Police to report on the 911 calls made on the night of June 26, 2021. and sent a letter to the board of directors of the country where the event occurred. In turn, he required the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security to report the result of the GPS in which the route made by a patrol car that apparently arrived in the country after a 911 call from a neighbor was recorded. and the clinical history of the victim to the Penna Hospital in Buenos Aires, where the young woman was treated the following day.
For its part, Villa’s lawyer, Martín Apolo, asked Judge Maffucci Moore to release his client from prison, but the magistrate only took notice of the request and did not decide whether or not it will take place, since he considered that the proposal is premature.
This is the second complaint against the Colombian soccer player and Boca scorer, since in April 2020 his ex-partner, Daniela Cortés, also Colombian, accused him of injuries and threats, in a case that has already been brought to trial and that could be resolved in an abbreviated process. In fact, the prosecution proposed a suspended sentence of two years in prison and now the defense must decide if they reach an agreement to avoid the oral trial.
