Three Spanish footballers jailed for 38 years each over gang sex attack

Three Spanish footballers have been sentenced to 38 years each in jail after being found guilty of a gang sex attack on a 15-year-old girl.

Judges ruled the trio knew their victim was a minor.

Raul Calvo, Carlos Cuadrado and Victor Rodriguez were tried last month at a court in the northern Spanish city of Burgos.

The verdict and sentence was deferred until Thursday morning.

The men, who were playing for third division Spanish side Arandina when they were arrested in December 2017, denied any wrongdoing.

The victim claimed she was sexually assaulted by all three men after accepting an invite to the flat they shared in Aranda de Duero, which is a two hours drive north of Madrid.

She said they had stripped her and forced her to perform sex acts.

State prosecutors demanded a 40-year prison sentence for Raul Calvo, 19 when he was arrested, in an indictment presented to the court ahead of the trial at Burgos Provincial Court.

They demanded prison sentence of 39 years each for the other two defendants, Carlos Cuadrado and Victor Rodriguez, who were 24 and 22 at the time of the crime which occurred on November 24, 2017.

None now play for Arandina FC after being expelled from the club in the wake of the scandal.

The players, who were held in prison for three months on remand before being released on bail, admitted the teenager was in their flat but insisted she left without anything happening and she was lying about the sex attack.

Their defence lawyers had demanded their acquittal.

Despite being sentenced to 38 years in prison, the men will not serve more than 20 years in line with Spanish law.

Part of each of their prison sentences cover the crime of sexual assault they were found guilty of committing themselves.

Another part was for the crime of sexual assault the other two were convicted of committing on the basis they were “necessary co-operators.”

The judges ruled the sex attack was a “surprise” and took place in the dark with the light off and the victim did not have a chance to react.

All three men are expected to appeal.