The Swiss judiciary, which more than three decades ago convicted in absentia the Brazilian Alexi Stival, Cuca, of raping a 13-year-old teenager in a hotel in Bern, has now annulled the case due to a procedural defect, as reported this Wednesday by the Brazilian press. This also annuls the penalty that halted the career of one of Brazil's most celebrated football coaches months ago. Last April, 60-year-old Cuca was forced to resign as coach of the men's Corinthians immediately after being hired due to pressure from the women's team and some fans. This old belief, which had been forgotten for decades or was considered secondary information in journalistic coverage of his career as a footballer and coach, became unbearable in the times of Me Too. In addition, Corinthians always boasts about its democratic movement and values and runs a campaign called “Respeita as Mines” that demands respect for girls.
The attack on the minor occurred in 1987, when Cuca was a soccer player in his 20s who had just arrived at the Porto Alegre Gremio, with whom he was touring Europe. He and three other players were arrested and jailed immediately after the rape. But by the time the trial took place, they were already free and the four had fled to Brazil. They never appeared.
Judge Bettina Bochsler of the Bern Regional Court has now accepted Cuca's argument that he did not have a lawyer in these default proceedings and could therefore face a new trial. However, prosecutors reported that the case had already been closed, so the judge closed the case on December 28 and ordered that the coach be compensated 9,500 Swiss francs ($11,000). The decision was announced this Wednesday.
Cuca released a statement in which he stated: “Today I understand that I should have raised this matter earlier.” “I am relieved by the outcome and convinced that the last eight months, although emotionally difficult, have led to right time and came from God.”
Cuca had been at Corinthians for six days and two games when the revival of a teenager's rape conviction created such pressure that he was forced to resign. More than three decades had passed since he, like his companions Eduardo and Henrique, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for “indecent assault”; and Fernando, just for an act of violence.
The winds of change have recently penetrated strongly into the world of football, as shown by the global impact and the earthquake that the Rubiales case has caused in Spanish football due to the non-consensual kiss of the head of the association on the player Jenni Hermoso shortly after the win the World Cup. This Tuesday, the soccer player confirmed her allegations before the judge investigating the case.
Months earlier, Brazil was shocked when Dani Alves was jailed, accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub, and jailed in Spain. Alves' trial is scheduled for February. Robinho's nine-year prison sentence, handed down by an Italian court for rape, caused less scandal. Before sitting on the bench, the former footballer fled to his home country, where he remains at large because Brazil does not extradite its citizens. Of course, his career seems to be over. In 2021, he left Santos without playing a single game due to pressure from sponsors.
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