Rafa Mir, the Elche forward with recent Valencia and Sevilla ties in La Liga, has received an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence from a court in Spain after being found guilty of sexual assault, ESPN reported Monday.
The sentence is not final. ESPN reported that Mir confirmed he will appeal the ruling, which came from the Fourth Section of the Valencia Court.
Valencia Court Issues Sentence
ESPN quoted the Valencia court as saying the footballer of Elche CF, formerly of Valencia CF, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after being tried on May 28 on charges of sexual assault and causing bodily harm.
The report said Mir must also pay 64000 euros in compensation to the victim. Mir and Pablo Jara, another footballer, were arrested in September 2024 after two women accused them of sexual assault at Mir's residence, according to ESPN.
Jara was also sentenced, ESPN reported, receiving two years in prison for sexual assault and a further six months for an offence against moral integrity. The court also ordered Jara to pay a 6280 euro fine.
Mir Says He Will Appeal
Mir, 28, maintained his innocence during the one-day hearing in Valencia, ESPN reported. After the ruling, he said through an Instagram post cited by ESPN that he disagreed with the decision and would appeal in the coming days.
The appeal status matters for how the case moves from here: Monday's ruling is a major legal development, but ESPN reported that the sentence is not final.
La Liga Career Context
Mir played this season on loan at LaLiga side Elche from Sevilla, according to ESPN. He was on loan at Valencia from Sevilla at the time of the 2024 arrest, while Jara was on the books of lower-division club Alcantarilla FC.
Mir started his senior career at Valencia and has also played for Las Palmas and Huesca. Outside Spain, he had spells with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest, and he has represented Spain at under-21 and under-23 level.
The case now continues through the appeals process, with the court sentence, compensation order and Jara's separate punishment forming the concrete legal outcome reported Monday.