Bilbao, Dec 18 (EFE).- The feminist group of Gernika has assured that the Lointek Gernika club knew since July that there was a complaint against coach Mario López as the author of a crime of sexual assault against a minor and that Then they asked that he be removed as coach.
“We have been stunned, speechless,” after having heard those responsible for that club say that they were not aware of this complaint, they commented in statements to EFETV from the feminist network of Gernika.
A woman reported in June of last year that she had suffered continuous sexual assault by Mario López when he coached her, from 1998 to 2001, at the Allende Salazar School and later on the Lointek Gernika team, since she was 13 years old.
The Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) has “unmitigatedly” condemned the alleged abuses and the Biscayan club has denied knowing about the situation.
The feminist group has expressed its surprise at the club’s reaction. “We want to think that it was a misunderstanding” because “we met with them four times to talk about this issue and we have had calls and messages since last July 3”, the date on which this group of women expressed their concern about the participation of the reported at a summer sports campus, he said.
“They told us that this campus ended the next day and that this person would not work with children, so we should be calm,” he added.
However, he stressed, López remained as first team coach because “there were problems replacing him and finding another with his category.”
“But that man achieved that category as a coach and those medals thanks to the impunity with which he has lived for more than 20 years,” he denounced.
The feminist group has valued the club’s work to promote women’s sports and has assured that they are not aware of any more victims.
But, “there is a run run” in the town, “because violence against women, especially children, is totally hidden” and a first complaint usually causes “others to surface.” That is why “it is so important to give voice to the victims’ stories,” she warned.
The feminist organization has called for this afternoon a rally to condemn the events reported in Gernika, where graffiti has appeared calling Mario López a “pedophile” and “rapist.” EFE
ir-sf/cc/ism
(Video)
2023-12-18 17:01:13
#Feminists #Gernika #assure #basketball #club #knew #complaint #July
