The scandalous and hidden case of rape committed by Cobreloa players

The complaint has been going on for a couple of years and the members of the football club were not even investigated. Representative Marisela Santibáñez, along with other legislators, asked the United Nations not to remain silent about the case “because eight men, belonging to a soccer team, raped an 18-year-old Chilean woman in September 2021.” The affected person has already given a statement in the Chamber of Deputies. Another case that tarnishes the ANFP. A player who supported the accusation was kicked off the team. The president of the National Arbitration Committee, Eduardo Arévalo, presented background information that revealed severe inconsistencies in statements by leaders of the ANFP and Cobreloa. At the time, journalist Juan Cristóbal Guarello reported that the young woman “tShe tried to flee, they didn’t let her. They took her by force, arms, neck and waist. They hit him in the face. There is the skill of the blows. “They put the belt around his neck… there are things I can’t say because they are very hard.”

Valparaiso. NY. 3/12/2024. Despite complaints made a couple of years ago, the testimony of the affected woman and meetings in the Chamber of Deputies where the case was discussed, there is little progress regarding the accusation of rape committed by players from the Cobrealoa club.

At this point the case has scandalous overtones, of impunity and another situation of abuse and injustice towards a woman, and in the world of football.

The sexual assault, it was reported, occurred in the “Casa Naranja”, in Cobreloa, where a group of “cadets”, lower divisions of that team, would have abused the 18-year-old girl, on September 17, 2021.

According to official information, to date there are no accused or sanctioned and the Cobreloa club has not taken any investigative or resolution measures regarding the case and the players involved remain free and even at this point, some are playing for the first team.

The victim, identified with the initials VJNV, indicated, some time ago, that she was raped in the middle of a party where the players were. There would have been eight who committed the crime. The victim voluntarily submitted her testimony before the Sports and Recreation Commission of the Lower House, opting for it to be public. The above is because, despite making the complaints at the time, they were not successful, due to the concealment of the issue. The affected woman said that she was even urged not to persevere because her counterpart “would have better lawyers.”

María Elena Saavedra, mother of a former cadet from Cobreloa, who was separated from that club, also spoke before the court after supporting the complaint. She said that the feeling in this case is that “institutions do not work.” “Here there is negligence in the protocols, as well as late responses from Cobreloa, the ANFP and various organizations.”

It is also known that the National Association of Associated Football (ANFP) has not even started an investigation and is silent. The inactivity of the Investigative Police (PDI) and authorities has also been criticized.

The victim’s lawyer, Rodrigo Toledo, explained that the complaints were not accepted, protocols were not activated nor care was provided to the woman.

After the complaint, the legislators approved the sending of a series of inspection letters. These will be directed to the ANFP, the PDI, the Public Ministry and the Ministries of Women and Justice. To date, little or nothing.

At the time, according to information that appeared in the press, the president of the National Arbitration Committee, Eduardo Arévalo, presented information that revealed severe inconsistencies in the statements of the leaders of the ANFP and Cobreloa, Pablo Milad and Marcelo Pérez, respectively.

He noted that the crime “should be referred to as rape,” detailing that there were eight players involved, several of whom are part of the current first team of the Calama team. Arévalo did not rule out the criminal responsibility of the Cobreloa leaders for hiding these serious facts.

Representative Santibañez’s complaint to the UN

Representative Marisela Santibáñez, along with other Chilean legislators, denounced this case and its concealment in a session at UN-Women yesterday.

He questioned the silence in this case and the non-application of the protocols contained in the Law Against Sexual Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Discrimination and Mistreatment in national sports activity.

The parliamentarian expressed that “I want the attention of all the women present, please, because here is a more scandalous complaint than what was ‘La manada’ in Spain, because eight men, eight Chileans belonging to a soccer team, raped in September of the year 2021 to a Chilean who was 18 years old at the time and who is now 21 years old and studying law at the university.”

“It is my colleagues present here (legislators) and all the colleagues who must raise their voices because human poverty does not allow us to move forward,” said Marisela Santibáñez and pointed out that she was also speaking before Paula Narváez, the Chilean ambassador to the Organization of Nations. United Nations and women representatives from dozens of countries.

The parliamentarian criticized the inaction and silence “of the authorities, from Congress, from our ministers, from the football authorities and especially from Mr. Pablo Milad of the ANFP and, of course, the authorities of the Cobreloa club.”

Santibáñez called on the representatives of the various countries present so that “the voice of Valentina (the victim) is not silenced, that a mass rape in Chile is not silenced. I hope that the authorities here, at the mission, take this into account. It is my last alternative because if it was not the voice of a parliamentarian, let it be the voice of a Chilean woman, let it be the voice of a victim that is not silenced once again.”

Representatives Carolina Tello, Daniella Cicardinni, Pamela Jiles, Erika Olivera, Ximena Ossandón, Francisca Bello, Johanna Ahumada, Flor Weissa and Francesca Muñoz also participated in this UN Women meeting.

Strong complaints

Last year, according to press reports, a secret session of the Sports and Recreation Commission of the Lower House was held to discuss this case. According to reports, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Luis Cordero, attended; the Minister of Women and Gender Equality, Antonia Orellana; the Minister of Sports, Jaime Pizarro; and the president of the ANFP, Pablo Milad, the president of Cobreloa, Marcelo Pérez, representatives of the PDI, the National Sports Arbitration Committee and the National Prosecutor Ángel Valencia, who excused himself to attend.

At that time, the Deputy Andrés Giordano indicated that they heard “countless arguments that seek to put this case under the rug, which tell us that measures were not taken diligently by the club.”

Sports journalist Juan Cristóbal Guarello reported that the young woman “tried to flee, they didn’t let her. They took her by force, her arms, her neck and her waist. They hit her face. There is the skill of the blows. They put the belt around her neck… there are things that I can’t say because they are very hard.”

The victim stated that she was forced to have oral sexl, being recorded and displayed on video call. Guarello shared these statements, highlighting the seriousness of the events.

The president of the instance, Erika Olivera, regretted the events and called for this case to move forward. Likewise, for the deputies of the instance, the events are highly serious and even more so if the time that has elapsed is considered.

Representative Marisela Santibáñez (IND) said that this case has been reported repeatedly, but nothing progresses and no one takes responsibility. “It looks like Groundhog Day…”

Along the same lines, deputies Jorge Guzmán (Evop) and Cristián Tapia (PPD) pointed out that the negligence and events that occurred cannot happen again. “You must analyze what went wrong? In Cobreloa they are clear about who the people are,” they noted.

Deputy Andrés Celis (RN) went further. “If the Ministry of Women does not file a complaint to launch this investigation, I will announce the names of those involved. If they take legal action, we will see you in court.”

Finally, parliamentarian Andrés Giordano (IND) said that this type of crime affects so many women and that is why we must get to the bottom of the matter.

The Minister of Sports, Jaime Pizarro, said that from the role that corresponds to his division they have presented papers and have held a series of meetings. “We work on various manuals and protocols.”

The president of the National Sports Arbitration Committee, Eduardo Arévalo, said that he still finds it incredible that so much time has passed and there have been no judicial actions. He indicated that they will make resolutions once the courts do the same.

The deputy deputy director of the PDI, Jorge Sánchez, indicated that the entire investigation folder, as well as the expertise, were delivered to the Public Ministry.

Likewise, Fernando Ramírez, former president of Cobreloa, indicated that all the data he handled was delivered to the Public Ministry. He reported harassment and that despite his attempts to learn about the case, he was unable to obtain further information, which of course was handled by the ANFP, he assured.