The Spanish professional footballer Rafa Mir (28) from FC Elche has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison by the Fourth Criminal Chamber of Valencia. The verdict was confirmed on Monday by the Supreme Court of the Valencian Community, but is not yet final.
Mir and his friend Pablo Jara, also a footballer, are said to have taken two women to his villa in the posh suburb of Bétera in September 2024 after visiting a disco. Rape and bodily harm are said to have occurred there.
In addition to the prison sentence, Mir must pay 64,000 euros in compensation to the victims. His friend received a sentence of two and a half years in prison and a fine of 6,280 euros.
At the time of the crime, Mir was on loan from Sevilla FC to Valencia FC. He is currently playing on loan for FC Elche and in the last La Liga season he contributed significantly to his club’s relegation with eight goals, which the club secured on the last matchday in Girona (1-1).
Mir took part in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo with the Spanish selection. Spain made it to the final, but had to settle for the silver medal after a 2-1 defeat against Brazil after extra time. Back then, Mir scored three goals in six matches.