Four Argentine Professional Soccer Players Accused of Group Sexual Assault on Reporter

In South America, Argentina, four professional soccer team players are under public outrage over allegations of sexually assaulting a female journalist.

On the 8th (local time), according to Argentine media outlets La Naci?n and Infobae, four soccer players?Sebasti?n Sosa (37), Brian Cufr? (27), Jos? Florent?n (27), and Aviel Osorio (21)?are being investigated by the Tucum?n Province Prosecutor's Office in Argentina on charges of sexual violence.

Argentine professional soccer team Velez Sarsfield social media homepage
[Photo by Velez Sarsfield X capture]

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These players, who belong to the Argentine professional soccer team Atl?tico V?lez Sarsfield (V?lez), are accused of calling a female journalist in her 20s to a hotel and sexually assaulting her after an away match against Atl?tico Tucum?n (Tucum?n) on the 2nd.

Patricia Neme, the legal representative of the victim, explained in a local media interview, "My client, a sports journalist, was covering the event in the mixed zone at the stadium when she received a message from player Sosa and headed to the Hilton Hotel," describing the victim's movements on the day of the incident.

The lawyer added, "The journalist drank Fernet (an alcoholic beverage) given by the players at the hotel, felt dizzy afterward, and was subsequently assaulted."

Neme stated, "The victim is currently in a state of psychological shock," and added, "She submitted the bloodstained clothes from the day of the incident to the investigative authorities."

V?lez issued a press release that day, stating, "We are aware of the case filed with the prosecutor's office on the 6th and have confirmed that four of our team players are involved in the incident. Following our internal protocol, we have decided to separate the players from the team as a preventive measure."

They also said, "We will provide all necessary information and other related support for the investigation."

Argentine soccer fans are criticizing the players in connection with this incident. On local social media, voices are calling for the expulsion of the players and a fair investigation by the prosecutor's office.

Among the accused players, Sosa posted on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "I reject any form of violence and respect everyone's physical and sexual integrity," adding, "I hope for a swift and just resolution," effectively denying the allegations.

Sosa is a veteran goalkeeper who has represented the Uruguay national team and was included in the squad for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where Uruguay was in the same group as South Korea. Due to this, Uruguayan media are also showing great interest in the case and have been reporting on it daily.

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