Football star Santi Mina jailed after being convicted in rape case
Spanish football star Santi Mina has been sentenced to four years in jail after being found guilty of sexual abuse.
The 26-year-old Celta Vigo striker is set to appeal against the verdict after being accused of raping a woman in a camper van in 2017.
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David Goldar, who plays for Spanish second-tier side Ibiza, was accused of accompanying the woman to the camper van but was found not guilty of being an accomplice.
Mina was cleared of a separate sexual aggression charge associated with intimidation or violence against the victim, with he and Goldar claiming the woman consented to their sexual relations.
Mina's legal representation confirmed he will appeal the decision.
In a statement reported by EFE, they said: "With important errors in the assessment of the tests carried out and therefore of the events that occurred, [the legal team] will proceed to file the corresponding appeal in the coming days."
Mina's Spanish club Celta Vigo said they have "temporarily" removed the striker from their first-team squad, pending disciplinary proceedings
Celta Vigo 'temporarily remove' player from first-team squad
Celta subsequently acknowledged the court's sentencing and communicated the opening of disciplinary proceedings against Mina while continuing to respect "the player's right to defence" ahead of his appeal.
A club statement read: "As a result of the ruling of the Third Section of the Provincial Court of Almeria, issued today [Wednesday], RC Celta has decided to open a disciplinary file on the player Santiago Mina to elucidate his work responsibilities in view of this resolution.
"For this reason and as a precaution, it has been decided to temporarily remove the player from first-team training, without prejudice to his continuing to carry out the activities indicated by the club for this purpose.
"RC Celta respects the player's right to defence, but is obliged to take measures against those events that notoriously undermine the image of the club and directly attack its values, showing once again its absolute rejection of the offence defined in the judicial resolution."
Mina, a Celta youth product, returned to the club from Valencia in 2019 and has been a first-team regular ever since.
In 2021-22, Mina has played in all but one of Celta's 34 LaLiga games, scoring seven goals.
with agencies
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