Spanish Footballer Rafa Mir Arrested on Suspicion of Sexual Assault
Spanish footballer Rafa Mir has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. The 27-year-old Valencia striker, currently on loan from Sevilla, was detained last night.
The Civil Guard confirmed that a LaLiga footballer had been arrested but refuted Spanish media reports about a second person being in custody. A spokesperson for the Civil Guard in Valencia stated, “We can confirm a LaLiga footballer has been arrested over an alleged sexual assault. No one else has been arrested at the moment, but that may change later. The man who has been detained is currently in police custody.”
Under Spanish law, police have 72 hours from the time of arrest to hold the individual before either releasing them or presenting them to a judge, who will decide whether to grant bail or keep the person in custody pending further investigation.
The Civil Guard has not disclosed details about the nature of the alleged assault or whether rape is involved. Spanish radio station Ser has reported that Mir and another man were arrested in connection with a sex crime involving two women, approximately 25 years old, at Mir’s home. Both men are currently being held at a police station in Valencia.
Rafael Mir Vicente, known as Rafa Mir, won the 2019 European Championship with Spain’s Under-21 team and earned a silver medal with the Olympic team at the 2020 tournament. He joined Wolves in January 2018, later had loan spells at Las Palmas and Nottingham Forest, and signed with Sevilla in August 2021. He returned to his boyhood club, Valencia, on loan in July.