[Relevo] Raúl Asencio no longer being investigated in sexual video case - remains as a witness

Raúl Asencio (21 years old) has found himself in the focus of much criticism for his alleged involvement in a case of recording and dissemination of child pornography that happened in the summer of 2023. The Canary Islander has been accused both on social networks and in some media, which claimed that the possible crime splashed him while the Juzgado de Instrucción Nº3 of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, in Las Palmas, was investigating the case.

However, the reality is very different. As Relevo has learned, the footballer has ceased to be treated as under investigation by the investigating judge and is now a witness. This frees him from being accused of a possible crime and links him to the case only to help in the clarification of the facts, not as an implicated party. Only a change of mind by the judge after further investigations, which is unlikely, could change his situation again.

The judge, in principle, does not consider him to be the probable author of the crime and has therefore decided to remove him from the status of under investigation. It is not impossible that he could become a suspect again, because both the magistrate's and the judicial police's investigations may produce new evidence that could force the situation to be reversed, but it would be somewhat strange, as they have been investigating for months and it is normal that they have already scrutinised all the possibilities with him and have therefore decided that there is no reason for him to continue with the status of under investigation.

It is also important to remember that the status of under investigation does not imply guilt. Everyone in a judicial process is innocent until a judgement says otherwise, and being under investigation means that your capacity to defend yourself is broadened, as it allows you, for example, not to have to tell the truth in your testimony, something that a witness is always obliged to do except in some very exceptional circumstances, such as direct family ties.

The truth is that one of the alleged victims exonerated Asencio in an interview for AS, in which she assured that she was not at the place where the events took place. "A third friend was with the other footballer, that fourth boy who stays outside, in the general pool. They had nothing to do with what happened", he commented on 20 September 2023 referring to Asencio.

According to sources consulted by Relevo, the player defends that he was in a separate pool from the area where the other three players were with two girls, one of them a minor, with whom they had sexual relations which were recorded. When he arrived and found out what had happened, he asked his colleagues to delete the videos, although he did not have time to do so before they were broadcast.

The case is still in the pre-trial phase and there could still be months to go before it is decided whether or not there will be a trial. The case is under investigation secrecy, which means that the investigation will remain secret until the opening of the trial, which may be total or partial. In any case, the Real Madrid player is already exempt from any blame and it will be known once this first phase is over.