Real Madrid defender Raúl Asencio cleared of charges relating to explicit video of a minor

Asencio has been completely cleared of charges relating to the non-consensual distribution of a sexually explicit video featuring a woman and a 16-year-old girl. On Thursday, a Spanish court acquitted Asencio after prosecutors withdrew all allegations against him. According to a report by ESPN, the case centred on a recorded sexual encounter at a Canary Islands beach club in June 2023.

While Asencio was not accused of filming the incident, he faced charges for allegedly sharing the footage. His former Real Madrid youth teammates Andrés García, Ferrán Ruiz and Juan Rodríguez pleaded guilty and each agreed to a one-year suspended prison sentence, a two-year restraining order, and a three-year ban on working with minors.

The judicial proceedings concluded on Thursday after the two young women featured in the video confirmed to the court that they had forgiven the players. A statement from a Las Palmas de Gran Canaria court detailed the resolution: "After hearing the victims confirm that they forgave the defendants and the report from the representative of the Public Prosecutor's Office withdrawing the charges against one of them and reducing the sentence sought for the other three, the judge handed down a verdict by consent in accordance with the prosecutor's report."

The court added: "The ruling is final and definitively concludes the proceedings, as the parties have confirmed that they accept it and will not appeal."

While Asencio has been cleared of the video distribution charges, he is currently facing internal disciplinary action from Real Madrid following a separate traffic offence. On Wednesday, the defender was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, resulting in an eight-month licence suspension and a €14,400 fine.

Real Madrid have subsequently opened disciplinary proceedings against him. Discussing the situation on Thursday, head coach José Mourinho said: "While the proceeding is open I see him as a Real Madrid player. He's injured and will continue to be sidelined for a couple of weeks. That helps me not to have to deal with this problem now."

Asencio has not played this season due to a muscle injury and will remain sidelined for the immediate future. Since his first-team promotion at the start of the 2024-2025 campaign, the defender has made 80 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and winning the FIFA Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid. Once fit, he must rebuild trust with Mourinho and navigate the club's ongoing disciplinary process.