A judicial scandal has shaken Mendoza province, Argentina, after 10 female hockey players from the Club Alemán were accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old teammate. The incident, which occurred in April 2023 during a First Division tournament, involved a traumatic initiation ritual. According to the complainant's account, she was forced to remove her bra, cover her chest with leaves, and get on all fours. The ordeal included being made to hold a bone in her mouth with her eyes blindfolded, having a sausage put in her mouth while she was forced to shout 'goal', and having a condom filled with yogurt thrown in her face. The lawyers for the accused players, aged between 18 and 29, claim this was a standard 'welcome' prank, similar to bachelor party games. They argue that the Forensic Medical Service determined there was no direct physical abuse and that the case had previously been dismissed due to a lack of evidence. However, formal charges of 'aggravated sexual abuse by two or more persons' have been brought, which carry a possible sentence of 3 to 10 years in prison. The case has reopened the debate in Argentina about violent rituals in sports and the limits of tradition.
