The Prosecutor’s Office requests 14 years in prison for the former Gernika coach for sexual assault
He sexual assault case involving Mario López, former coach of Lointek Gernika, has taken an important step in his judicial process. According to Radio Bilbao and the newspaper El País, the Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment for “a continuing crime of sexual assault.” The Court of Bizkaia has already set a date for the trial, from January 14 to 16.
The Prosecutor’s Office has described the events as constituting a continuing crime of sexual assault, for which he requests a sentence of 14 years in prisonas well as absolute disqualification during said period. Furthermore, it is required the prohibition of approaching the victim’s location for a period of 10 years and the payment of compensation of 20,000 euros as moral damages.
Mario López, former coach of Lointek Gernika
This development marks a new phase in a case that has caused great commotion in the Basque basketball environment and that was revealed for the first time in December of last year. The reported events occurred between the summer of 1998 and the winter of 2001, when the victim had a direct subordinate relationship with López.who at that time was his coach in the Allende Salazar School in Gernika.
The accused, 18 years older than the complainant
Mario López, 18 years older than the complainant, began to be her coach in a school environment, and the abuses allegedly continued even after both became part of the Gernika club, a benchmark in women’s basketball in Bizkaia. lThe victim left the club in 2003, while López continued to lead the team for more than a decade, eventually occupying the first team bench for eleven consecutive seasons. In addition, he was the coach of the under-16, under-18 and under-19 teams of the Spanish Basketball Federation.
The accused looked for and took advantage of moments to be alone with the then minor in order to have sexual relations with her… he invited her to watch a game in a house in the town of Gernika, at which time he introduced his hand to her. in the chest
In that writing, as revealed by the newspaper El País, which has had access to itthe Prosecutor’s Office formulates an accusation against Mario López, “who was the basketball coach” of the woman who reported “since she was on the school team, specifically between the ages of 10 and 16. As of 1998, this document continues, “benefiting from the family situation of the injured party, given the absence of parental care and control, The accused sought and took advantage of moments to be alone with the then minor in order to have sexual relations with her. “that began on that date when he invited her to watch a basketball game in a house in the town of Gernika, at which time he put his hand into her chest.”
Graffiti against the accused of sexual assault outside the Gernika field.
The minor “started to cry” and, the writing continues, “The accused assured that it would not happen again, although the truth is that such encounters continued over time and increased in intensity.” According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the woman, at that time a girl, submitted to them for “the fear that the great difference in age and position instilled in him”. Added to this were “various activities” that López carried out that “caused fear in the minor”, such as honking the horn when he drove past her house, driving “aggressively and recklessly” when he had her, “being aggressive and disproportionately demanding with her in training,” or “imposing talking on the phone daily.”
He took her to his house or took advantage of trips they made to have meetings to touch her breasts and genitals or forced her to perform fellatio or masturbate him, even going so far as to begin penetrating her anally in July 1999.
The Public Ministry argues that López, With “excuses for training and improvement,” he took her homehe would call her to come, he would show up at hers or “I took advantage of trips they made to play matches.” At those times, “he touched her breasts and genitals or forced her to perform fellatio or masturbate him, “Even in July 1999, he began to penetrate her anally.”
Post-traumatic stress disorder
And it ends with all of the above taking place “without the consent” of the minor, “were motivated by the intimidation she felt towards the defendant”and “as a consequence she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder” for which he has needed “psychiatric and psychological treatment.”
