Public Prosecutor Sets Condition for Withdrawing Accusation Against Asensio

The public prosecutor in the Canary Islands announced its readiness to withdraw the sentencing request against Real Madrid defender Raúl Asensio, should he issue a formal apology during the trial session to the two women who appeared in an inappropriate video recorded without permission, according to the Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo'.

During a preliminary session held on Tuesday at the Criminal Court No. 5 of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Court, Public Prosecutor Mercedes Gil Castillo, who had previously demanded a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the player, clarified her new stance on the case.

The prosecution confirmed that it would continue to pursue Asensio in court alongside three of his former Real Madrid academy colleagues, accused of recording and distributing the inappropriate video showing two young men and two women, one of whom is a minor, during the summer of 2023 in Gran Canaria.

The prosecution accuses the three defendants of recording the consensual relationship and then disseminating the video via WhatsApp to multiple contacts and groups, despite the girls' request to delete the clip, while Asensio is accused of showing the video to another person knowing it was recorded without permission.

Conversely, the player faces a lighter penalty compared to the other defendants, up to two and a half years in prison, as the prosecution indicated that the charges against him relate only to privacy violation, noting that the victims filed their lawsuit after receiving compensation.

In September, Asensio sent a message to the victims admitting his mistake in displaying the video recorded by his former colleagues, which the prosecution took into account during the preliminary session.

Nevertheless, the public prosecutor emphasized the need to complete legal procedures and refer the player to trial, ensuring that the apology is formally presented in the courtroom, giving the victims the opportunity to respond during the session.