Álvaro Aguado, charged with alleged sexual assault on an Espanyol employee

On the 13th of Barcelona's Court of Instruction, the judge has charged former Espanyol footballer Álvaro Aguado after finding evidence of an alleged crime of sexual assault with penetration against a club employee. The incident occurred in the early hours of June 24th at a nightclub on the seafront of the Catalan capital during the celebration of the team's promotion to the first division.

According to the court order, the judge considers the victim's judicial statement as evidence, which maintains the version given to the police, as well as the forensic report and the testimonies of witnesses who corroborate the moments before and after the act of penetration, especially through WhatsApp messages and the victim's emotional state.

Additionally, Aguado's statement is taken into account, where he admitted to having had sexual intercourse with penetration with the victim, although he claims it was consensual. The court has set a bail of 5,000 euros for the footballer to cover a potential compensation to the victim, who, as a result of the events, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder requiring psychological follow-up.

Furthermore, the magistrate acknowledges in her resolution that there are "contradictory versions" about what happened at the nightclub, although the complaint is supported by the forensic report, the case documentation, mainly the messages the victim exchanged with her friends after the events, and some of the testimonies.

The judge also notes in the document that the complainant "has been sincere in recounting the events," of which she has only "occasional memories" due to being under the influence of alcohol, but her statement and the forensic report provide "sufficient evidence" to bring the footballer to trial.

According to the court order, Aguado approached the young woman to dance, who said she felt "uncomfortable" with the approach, and after making non-consensual advances, he led her to a bathroom at the Opium nightclub, where the party was held, and raped her while preventing anyone from opening the door from the outside. Subsequently, the judge adds, the footballer asked the complainant who would leave the bathroom first and indicated that "they did not know each other."

On June 30th, Aguado, who is currently without a team, ceased to be a player for Espanyol, where the victim still works. The footballer, in fact, learned that he had been accused of rape by the club itself.