Football player Cristian Pavón, from Boca Juniors, was formally accused of sexual abuse of a young woman, with carnal access, in 2019.
The measure was ordered by the prosecutor of Alejandro Peralta Otonello, from the city of Alta Gracia, in the province of Córdoba, where the attacker is originally from and where the events against him took place.
Peralta Otonello also called on Pavón to give an investigative statement on March 23 to respond to the accusations, according to the resolution of the court to which the Associated Press had access.
The young Marisol Gisela Doyle reported that Pavón raped her on November 1, 2019 during a party in the city of La Bolsa, in Córdoba. The incident allegedly took place in a cabin of a friend of the player, according to the victim.
Doyle did not report the incident at the time, claiming “emotional paralysis” and “fear of being around people in the abuser’s environment.” According to her report, in February 2020 she suffered an anxiety crisis that led her to appear in court to say what happened.
Pavón, who was a member of Argentina’s national team at the World Cup in Russia, remains at large.
In a statement issued in January, the law firm representing Pavón said the complaint was false and that it was responding to “illegitimate interests”.
Pavón, 25, is recovering from surgery on both ankles. Although Boca Juniors has his step, the player said that he preferred to continue his career abroad. The news of the imputation is known at a time when the Argentine club is negotiating the transfer to MLS Galaxy of MLS, where Pavón played on loan between 2019 and 2020.
The Argentine Penal Code establishes a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for those guilty of sexual abuse with carnal access.
This is the second scandal of sexist violence that has shaken Boca in a year. In early 2020, Colombian striker Sebastián Villa was involved in a legal case for alleged physical attacks against his former partner.
At that time, Boca removed him from campus, but returned after an out-of-court settlement between Villa and the applicant.
So far, the Argentine club has not ruled on the Pavón case.