Eight and a half years in prison for Spanish soccer player

Spanish pro Rafa Mir has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for sexual assault. He had insisted that the sex with a woman was consensual. The court sees it differently.

In addition to the prison sentence, Rafa Mir has been ordered to pay 64,000 euros in damages. The 28-year-old Valencia FC striker had already spent two nights behind bars in September 2024 after a 23-year-old woman filed a complaint against him. At that time, he was released on probation.

Mir maintains his innocence. He and his lawyer emphasized that the sexual acts were consensual. It was initially unclear whether he would appeal the verdict, which is not yet final.

The 23-year-old had stated in her complaint and repeated during the trial that she had been raped by the athlete on September 1, 2024, at Mir’s villa in Valencia. Court records indicate that the 23-year-old stated she had fought back against Mir while in tears.

Mir is actually under contract with FC Sevilla but was loaned to league rival Elche for last season. He competed with the Spanish national team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and won the silver medal after a 1-2 loss to Brazil in extra time in the final. Mir scored three goals in six matches during that tournament.