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Woman Claims Diego Maradona Raped Her When She Was 16

Woman Claims Diego Maradona Raped Her When She Was 16

​The Cuban woman has given a harrowing testimony in court alleging Maradona raped her while undergoing drug addiction treatment in Havana.

Max Sherry

Max Sherry

A Cuban woman has alleged that Diego Maradona raped her when she was just 16 years old.

Mavys Alvarez, who had a relationship with the legendary footballer for two decades ago, has given a harrowing testimony to the Argentine Ministry of Justice court.

Diego Maradona.
PA

Alvarez opened up on the first time she met Maradona when she was 16 and he was around 40 while he was undergoing drug addiction treatment in the Cuban capital city of Havana following his retirement from football.

Alvarez told the court that Maradona allegedly raped her in the rehabilitation clinic where he was being treated, all while her mother was just metres away in the room next door.

"He covers my mouth, he rapes me, I don't want to think about it too much," Alvarez said.

"I stopped being a girl, all my innocence was stolen from me. It's hard. You stop living the innocent things that a girl of that age has to experience."

Mavys Alvarez.
PA

Despite previously describing their relationship as consensual, Alvarez now claims that throughout the "four and five years" they were together Maradona was physically and sexually abusive throughout.

She also went on to explain that the only reason her family allowed them to remain in an intimate relationship was because of Maradona's friendship with former Cuban president Fidel Castro.

"My family would never have accepted it if the Cuban government had not been involved," Alvarez added.

"They were forced in another way to accept a relationship that was not good for them, or for anyone.

"It's hard to be in his country, to see that he is everywhere, he is an idol and at the same time everything I remember about him as a person feels ugly."

Alvarez also says the 1986 World Cup winner was responsible for making her try cocaine too, claiming: "I loved him but I hated him too, I even thought about suicide."

PA

Now a mother of two young children, Alvarez's testimony will be officially filed by non-government organisation Foundation For Peace.

But while her claims are clearly very serious, it seems Alvarez has no interest in initiating further legal proceedings following her appearance at the Argentine Ministry of Justice.

"I have done what I had to do, the rest I leave to the courts," she said.

"I achieved my goal: to say what happened to me, to prevent it from happening to others, or at least so that other girls feel the strength, the courage to speak up."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, Football, Diego Maradona, Australia