Barcelona cooperates with police after former head of youth system is accused of sexually abusing children
Joan Laporta said Barcelona will cooperate with police after Albert Benaiges, the club’s former head of youth system, was accused of sexually abusing children in his charge for more than 20 years, charges which he strongly denies. strong.
The president of Barca also offered to support the victims after the investigation of the newspaper Ara, which saw more than 60 witnesses come forward, detailing his actions when he was a PE teacher at a school in the Catalan city during the 1980s and 1990s.
So far, according to Ara’s investigation, one former student has made an official statement to the police, and others are expected to follow suit.
The allegations include Benaiges coming into contact with boys and girls at school and touching children, but there have been no charges related to Barca’s academy, where Benaiges worked from 1992 to 2012. before returning earlier this year.
“Barcelona fully supports the victims who may have suffered these reprehensible acts that have been reported at [a school in] Barcelona,” Laporta said in a pre-recorded statement on Sunday.
“We are working with the police with full transparency to clarify whether any of this behavior took place at our club. We will always protect and advocate for children. adolescents and their families.
“Barca stands with those who have suffered injustice and violence. We will not hide it. If any cases are discovered at the club, we will deal with them in full transparency, co-operation and cooperation. always support those affected and their families.”
Benaiges, 71 years old, is credited with discovering Andres Iniesta and also worked with current coach Xavi Hernandez when he was younger. After holding a number of roles in the academy, he left in 2012 but returned in March when Laporta was re-elected as president.
Laporta added that they would never have brought him back if they had known about the allegations.
After leaving Barca, Benaiges, who was born in Mexico, worked for Al-Wasl in the United Arab Emirates, Chivas in Mexico and Cibao in the Dominican Republic before reuniting with Iniesta at Vissel Kobe in Japan Copy.
He left his role with Barca last week when it became known of Ara’s investigation.
“I’ve never hurt anyone and if I did it wasn’t intentional,” Benaiges told Ara on Friday. “I have one adopted and four adopted children; my conscience is clear, I have never raped anyone and I have denounced pedophiles.”
