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Spanish gymnastics coach denies sex abuse

The former head coach of the Spanish female gymnastics team Jesus Carballo has strongly denied claims that he sexually abused one of the gymnasts under his supervision over 30 years ago.

Spanish gymnastics coach denies sex abuse
Carballo has been accused by former Olympic gymnast Gloria Viseras (not pictured) of abusing her between 1977 and 1980 when she was between 12 and 15 years old. Photo: Lluis Gene/AFP

Carballo has been accused by former Olympic gymnast Gloria Viseras of abusing her between 1977 and 1980 when she was between 12 and 15 years old.

However, Carballo broke his silence on the matter in a wide ranging interview and open letter with Madrid sports daily Marca on Saturday, where he denied any wrongdoing throughout his nearly 40 years as a gymnastics coach.

"I emphatically deny all the accusations that have been levelled against me," he wrote.

"I am a good man and I know that in the end I will win, but I know it won't mean anything because this damage is irreparable."

A judge threw out the police's preliminary case against Carballo in April as they had passed the legal prescription limit and concluded the police didn't have sufficient evidence.

However, that decision has been appealed by the Spanish sports council.

Carballo claims that if he had been guilty of any such conduct towards Viseras then it would not have taken such a long time to come to light.

"If this was true, it would not have taken 36 years to come to light.

"It is all a lie. Emphatically, a big, fat lie.

"Her parents came to visit her every day; they were friends of mine, I spoke with them.

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France taken to European Court over divorce ruling that woman had ‘marital duty’ to have sex with husband

A case has been brought against France at the European Court of Human Rights by a woman who lost a divorce case after judges ruled against her because she refused to have sex with her husband.

France taken to European Court over divorce ruling that woman had 'marital duty' to have sex with husband
Photo: Frederick Florin/AFP

The woman, who has not been named, has brought the case with the backing of two French feminist groups, arguing that the French court ruling contravened human rights legislation by “interference in private life” and “violation of physical integrity”.

It comes after a ruling in the Appeals Court in Versailles which pronounced a fault divorce in 2019 because of her refusal to have sex with her husband.

READ ALSO The divorce laws in France that foreigners need to be aware of

The court ruled that the facts of the case “established by the admission of the wife, constitute a serious and renewed violation of the duties and obligations of marriage making intolerable the maintenance of a shared life”.

Feminist groups Fondation des femmes (Women’s Foundation) and Collectif fĂ©ministe contre le viol (Feminist Collective against Rape) have backed her appeal, deploring the fact that French justice “continues to impose the marital duty” and “thus denying the right of women to consent or not to sexual relations”.

“Marriage is not and should not be a sexual servitude,” the joint statement says, pointing out that in 47 percent of the 94,000 recorded rapes and attempted rapes per year, the aggressor is the spouse or ex-spouse of the victim.

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