Spanish footballer Rafa Mir sentenced to 8.5 years

A Spanish court has sentenced professional footballer Rafa Mir to eight and a half years in prison for sexual assault and assault causing injury. The ruling was handed down on Monday, June 15, 2026, by the Provincial Court of Valencia, though the conviction can still be appealed. A second defendant, Pablo Jara, a friend of the footballer, was also convicted and sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

The conviction stems from an incident on September 1, 2024. According to court findings, Mir and Jara met two women at a nightclub in Valencia and later invited them to Mir's home in the town of Betera. The prosecution stated that Mir sexually assaulted one of the women in the swimming pool area and a bathroom of the residence. The 28-year-old striker pleaded not guilty, maintaining the interaction was consensual, but the judicial panel rejected his defense. The court cited the victim's consistent and credible testimony, which was supported by witness accounts and forensic evidence.

The sentence breaks down to seven years for sexual assault and an additional 18 months for bodily harm. The court also imposed a 10-year restraining order, prohibiting Mir from coming within 500...