Marcel Hernández Acquitted in Court of Appeals in Costa Rica

August 28, 2022

The Criminal Sentencing Court of Appeals of Cartago ruled inadmissible the appeal filed by the Public Ministry against the acquittal of Cuban footballer Marcel Hernández, according to the website CR Hoy. In this way, the decision handed down last February in favor of Marcel was upheld.

"Now the ruling is under review by the Cartago Prosecutor's Office Objections Department, so that it can determine whether or not to proceed with filing an appeal before the Criminal Cassation Chamber," the Public Ministry's Communications Department told the aforementioned media outlet.

Marcel was acquitted of all charges against him last February, for something that had marked his personal life and threatened to weigh down his sports career. The Caribbean player, who was experiencing an excellent moment on the field, was seen off the field beset by legal problems that were finally cleared up, according to a report from La Nación that was replicated by the Cuban Football Blog.

According to the media outlet, Marcel was acquitted "of four counts of rape and two counts of relation with a minor," according to the Criminal Court of Cartago.

"Prosecutor Carolina Martínez Solano had requested four years in prison against Hernández for two counts of relation with a minor, after requesting his acquittal on the four counts of rape that had initially been attributed to him."

"The trial, which began on January 27, analyzes facts that occurred in August 2018, when the young complainant was 16 years old and the footballer was 29. On October 3 of that same year, a complaint was filed, which led the judicial authorities to search the player's house in the Asís neighborhood of Cartago. That day, the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) managed to gather evidence to include in file 18-002837-0345-PE.

"In this judicial process, Hernández had already received two final dismissals, on August 11, 2020 and then on December 4, 2021. But the Criminal Court accepted the appeals filed by the Public Ministry and the National Women's Institute (Inamu). The judges issued this ruling after hearing the testimony of the complainant's mother, the young woman, and a psychologist who acted as an expert for the defense," the report adds.

The result implies a radical change for Marcel, as Tigo Sports clarifies that "with this, the precautionary measures against the Cuban are lifted, including the prohibition on leaving the country."