Wednesday March 29, 2023 | 10:45 a.m.
Since she was little, Priscila Rodríguez (20) dreamed of being a soccer referee, a passion she inherited from her father. She took the course, graduated, and began a career that in a couple of years led her to direct matches in the Obereña Regional Soccer League (LROF) and amateur leagues in the Central zone.
But something happened on November 27 that shattered her illusions and led her to give up what she loves so much, for which she studied and prepared herself with enthusiasm.
According to her complaint filed with the Oberá Women’s Police Station, that day she led parties in the town of Panambí and the working day passed normally.
Back at the Oberá Referees Association, where the match sheets are handed out every weekend, a referee colleague offered to take her home and, on the way, he had groped her and insisted to keep her sexual relations. She even tried to get into a hotel accommodation.
But four months after the complaint, until now, Justice has not even summoned Rodríguez, while the person involved returned to arbitrate, which afflicts the young woman who decided to abandon the activity.
“The truth is that the last thing I want is to run into that person. For this reason, with all the pain in my soul, I preferred to step aside. No one supported me, except the president of the Association of Referees, whom I thank. But in general I do not have the support of my colleagues or the Justice and I feel unprotected. I know I didn’t lie, but it seems they don’t believe it,” Rodríguez lamented.
The person involved is a member of the board of directors of the Association of Referees.
Meanwhile, the file is being processed before the Investigating Court One of Oberá.
“I said ‘no’ more than once”
On the day of the incident, he commented that he usually returned home with his father, who had a game that day in another town and was late.
“This man (by the accused) offered to take me and I agreed. He first told me that he was going to stop to buy a beer: ‘hold on and I’ll take you’, but he came back with four cans. I clarified that I don’t drink, and that he wanted to go to my house. He told me again to put up with it because if she came home with the cans, the lady would be angry. She began to walk around, passed by the Mirador and began to tell me about her life. She started making sexual advances and groping me, but I would pull myself out,” she commented.
In dialogue with El Territorio, Rodríguez stressed that at all times he expressed his refusal, although the man persisted in his attitude.
“I told him no, more than once. She began to spin and wanted to enter the motel that is on Avenida Italia. She even closed the car door because she didn’t want me to get out. I told him no again. There I was afraid, ”she acknowledged.
Finally, after so much insisting, the girl managed to get her colleague to take her home.
“I was in shock. At first, she didn’t know whether to file a complaint because she didn’t want any more problems. First I told my mom and then I commented on the situation in the referees’ WhatsApp group. On December 6, I made the complaint believing that they were going to take action, but nothing happened, ”she lamented.
After the complaint, the Liga Oberá removed the suspect; The same was done by the Association of Referees, although last week they lifted the sanction and returned to directing in amateur leagues.
“The weekend he charged again, but they never notified me. In other words, I am left as a liar, as the guilty one. It is very unfair,” Rodríguez claimed.
