Raul Asencio Acquitted in Explicit Video Case Amid Real Madrid Sanctions

Raul Asencio has been cleared by a Spanish court of any involvement in the distribution of a sexually explicit video involving a minor, drawing a line under one of two legal storms surrounding the Real Madrid defender.

The 23-year-old was acquitted in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, with the court withdrawing charges against him in a case tied to the recording and dissemination of a video from an intimate encounter at a beach club on the island in June 2023.

Three of his former team-mates from the Real Madrid academy were not so fortunate. They were convicted of “child pornography” offences and handed one-year suspended prison sentences. The court also ordered them to complete a sexual “re-education” course, imposed a two-year restraining order preventing any contact with the victims, and barred them for three years from working in any profession involving minors.

The sentences were kept to a minimum after the two victims, aged 16 and 18, forgave the defendants, a key factor in the court’s ruling.

Asencio, who had maintained his silence in public while the case unfolded, spoke at length once the verdict arrived.

“Today, after a long period of silence and after respecting a judicial process in which I always had faith, I can say that I have been acquitted,” he said in a statement. He described “a difficult situation” over recent months, during which he watched information and opinions about him “published before justice had its say.”

He stressed that he respected the media’s role but underlined the personal cost. “Behind every piece of news there is a person and a family who live with the consequences of it,” he said.

“I have always trusted that justice would eventually set things right. Today there is a judicial ruling that speaks for itself, and I accept it with peace of mind and with the satisfaction of being able to close a very important chapter in my life.”

That chapter closes as another remains very much open.

Separate to the video case, Real Madrid have launched disciplinary proceedings against Asencio over a drink‑driving conviction, also in Gran Canaria. On 16 August, he was stopped and found to be more than three times over the legal alcohol limit. The incident led to a fine and an eight‑month suspension of his driving licence.

Inside Valdebebas, the issue has already reached the manager’s office. Asked about the matter, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho did not hide his displeasure.

“Raul Asencio, given the situation he found himself in, I talked to him when he arrived and I talked to him about things that happened in the past,” Mourinho said. “I haven't talked with him since but I don't discuss situations outside Valdebebas.

“His attitude is perfect here. He picked up an injury a few weeks ago and since then, he is first to arrive and last to leave working on his recovery.

“But obviously a Real Madrid player is a Real Madrid player for 24 hours, seven days a week, 12 months a year, so when you do something outside your professional area, it's still Real Madrid and it hurts the club's prestige that is untouchable.

“So I am not happy. We all make errors but no, I'm not happy.”

Asencio did not try to soften his responsibility for the drink‑driving offence. In the same statement in which he welcomed his acquittal, he addressed the conviction head‑on.

“I am deeply sorry for what happened and I fully accept my responsibility,” he said. “It has been an experience from which I have learned and I am very clear that it will not happen again.”

He made it clear he does not want to extend the public debate around his off‑field problems. “I don't want to get involved in controversies or look back. I want to close this chapter with respect, with my head held high and with a great desire to move forward. And I [am] absolutely in agreement with my coach: not only on the pitch, but also off it.”

Acquitted in one courtroom, sanctioned in another, and under scrutiny at one of the world’s most demanding clubs, Asencio now has little margin left. The next steps in his career will be judged not by lawyers or judges, but by his performances – and his behaviour – in the white shirt of Real Madrid.