Boca Juniors, an Argentine soccer club, has taken a tough stand against gender abuse by removing Colombian winger Sebastian Villa from their squad. This ruling follows Villa’s conviction for assaulting his former lover, Daniela Cortes.
Villa, a 27-year-old Colombia international, received a two-year and one-month jail sentence for his crimes. The sentence, nevertheless, has been delayed pending the conclusion of the appeal procedure because it is less than three years in length.
The unanimous decision to drop Villa from the team was made by the club’s board of directors. This will remain in effect while the case is being appealed in higher courts, ensuring that Boca Juniors remains committed to addressing gender violence.
The court’s ruling found Villa guilty of “coercive threats with minor injuries in the context of gender violence,” relating to an incident reported by his ex-partner in 2020.
