The Investigating Court No. 3 of San Bartolomé de Tirajana has ordered the opening of a trial against Real Madrid player Raúl Asencio and former Real Madrid youth players Ferrán Ruiz, Juan Rodríguez, and Andrés García, accused of recording and distributing sexual videos without the consent of two young women, one of whom was a minor at the time of the events that occurred in June 2023 in Gran Canaria.
The court ruling, dated September 2 and notified this Thursday, establishes that Ruiz, Rodríguez, and García must each post bail of €20.000, while Asencio is required to post bail of €15.000. The ruling is no longer open to appeal, and the proceedings will now be transferred to a criminal court in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which will be responsible for setting the date for the public hearing.
One of the two complainants, who was of legal age at the time of the incident, has withdrawn the charges against Raúl Asencio after accepting a letter of apology and financial compensation. The young woman's lawyer, Margarita Alejo, confirmed that the player acknowledges "the mistake" of showing the video to a friend after receiving it from his teammates. The withdrawal of this private charge does not exempt Asencio from the dock: the other complainant, who was 16 at the time of the incident, and the Prosecutor's Office maintain the charges. The Public Prosecutor's Office is seeking two and a half years in prison for the player for two offenses against privacy.
The origin of the case: recordings without consent in Amadores
The incident dates back to June 15, 2023, when Ruiz, Rodríguez, and García had consensual sex with two young women in a cabin at a beach club in Amadores. According to the complaint, the soccer players recorded the scene without consent and shared the videos in WhatsApp groups, despite the girls' requests to delete them.
The Civil Guard investigation gathered direct evidence of the defendants' involvement. In Asencio's case, although he wasn't present during the sexual act, he did receive the video and showed it to someone else. A WhatsApp message appeared on his own phone in which he admitted to having shown the images: "Hey, bro, I showed it to you because Juan (Rodríguez) gave it to me."
The requests for conviction
The Prosecutor's Office is seeking four years and seven months in prison for Ruiz, Rodríguez, and García, considering them responsible for recording and distributing the videos. They are also charged with distributing child pornography, as a minor appears in the images. The difference with Asencio is that he did not participate in the recording or the sexual relationship, although he did participate in re-dissemination, which is also considered a crime against privacy. The case now rests in the hands of a Criminal Court in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which will be responsible for setting the trial date. The trial, closely followed by the public, faces the four young footballers with possible prison sentences and media exposure that transcends the sporting sphere.
