Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Six Club Alemán Hockey Players Charged in Mendoza Initiation-Rite Abuse Case

The revived case could set clearer limits on hazing of minors in sport under Argentina’s sexual abuse law.

Overview

  • Prosecutors in Mendoza formally charged six players on Tuesday for aggravated simple sexual abuse tied to a 2023 team “baptism,” with four more players scheduled to be charged next week.
  • Judicial measures keep the accused out of custody, impose a no-contact order protecting the complainant, and order psychological evaluations by the court’s medical forensics unit.
  • The investigation was first archived in 2025, then reopened when a judge ruled the conduct could not be considered neutral, after which the lead prosecutor reclassified the case and ordered charges.
  • According to the complaint, the then‑16‑year‑old was humiliated during a filmed initiation ritual and later warned in a team chat not to speak, while defense lawyers call the acts customary games and have filed nullity motions.
  • Article 119 of the Penal Code, used here for abuse by two or more people with a 3 to 10 year sentence range, underpins the criminal case as a parallel civil claim of about 96–100 million pesos advances.