Tennis Coach on Trial for Minor Sexual Abuse in Tenerife

A trial has begun in Santa Cruz de Tenerife against tennis coach P. P. R. Prosecutors are asking for a 12-year prison sentence and 50,000 euros in compensation. He is accused of sexually abusing a minor girl he had coached since she was eleven years old.

Details from the trial, which started yesterday in a public session (except for the victim's testimony, which was given privately), highlight the complex power dynamics that can arise in elite sports, especially when minors are involved with figures of authority.

The prosecution claims the coach had a "controlling relationship" over the young athlete. Her parents had signed an exclusive contract with him in 2013. The victim, who reported the abuse at 19, has seen her promising sports career cut short due to psychological trauma – a common outcome in abuse cases where there's an imbalance of power.

The victim's mother, a key witness, described her daughter's complete dedication to tennis. From the age of five, she dreamed of reaching the top. Her talent led her to win national championships and rank among the world's top 25 players. However, her career abruptly ended in 2021, not due to injuries or setbacks, but because of constant anxiety that forced her off the courts after she reported her coach.

The mother explained how the coach became central to her daughter's life, strictly controlling her meal and rest schedules, and imposing severe punishments if she didn't meet expectations in matches. He even controlled her communication, taking away her mobile phone. The family, who lived with the coach in Tenerife and later in Barcelona after the athlete joined a top club, trusted him completely, seeing him as part of their inner circle.

The abuse came to light gradually. The mother found a "sexual massager" in the home her daughter shared with the coach. P. P. R. offered an explanation that the daughter confirmed at the time. Later, the mother noticed her daughter was self-harming, which the daughter eventually admitted to her. Finally, the coach himself confessed to the mother that he was in love with the young woman, had engaged in sexual encounters "without penetration," and wished for her to be the mother of his children.

After this confession, a complaint was filed the next day, leading to the coach's dismissal from the club. Since 2021, the athlete has been receiving psychological treatment and has stopped her career because of "severe anxiety attacks," a diagnosis confirmed by experts during the trial.