Death Sentence of Football Coach Accused of Sexual Abuse of 'Eight Teenage Boys' in Iran Overturned

The Supreme Court of Iran, the highest judicial authority in the Islamic Republic, has overturned the death sentence of a football coach accused of sexually abusing eight teenage boys and sent his case back to court for re-examination. The 40-year-old coach, whose name has not been disclosed, was sentenced to death last December by judges of the Criminal Court of Tehran Province. According to reports, the defendant had a prior history of sexual abuse and was sentenced to death based on 'evidence in the case.' However, the ruling was contested by the defendant and his lawyer, who claimed that no rape occurred and that what happened was merely 'harassment.' According to the newspaper Etemad, the judges of the Supreme Court reviewed the defendant's claims and stated that the case must be re-examined, and the allegation of rape must be investigated. The sexual abuse of eight teenage boys was reported, with complaints stating that the accused, a coach of a football class in eastern Tehran, lured eight boys aged 12 to 13 to his home and sexually abused them. Reports indicate that the parents of the children, stating that 'the mental and psychological state of their children has been disturbed due to the actions of this man,' requested 'the harshest punishment' for him. Reports also indicate that the accused is married and denied the charges in court, claiming that he approached the eight boys 'for football training' and 'joked' with them, expressing regret now. However, after presenting evidence, including videos related to the sexual abuse, he confessed to the charges. According to previous reports, after complaints were filed by the families of some of the teenagers and the accused was summoned to the prosecutor's office, he 'went into hiding' but was arrested months later in Sari, the capital of Mazandaran Province. This is not the first time that sexual abuse of children and teenagers in sports and educational environments has been reported in Iran. In the winter of 2022, following the publication of news about the sexual abuse of children by a coach at a football school in Mashhad, the secretary of the Football Association of Khorasan Razavi Province called the news 'illogical and unethical' and claimed that 'money was paid' to make it public. The provincial prosecutor's office announced the arrest of the offending coach and stated that 'security measures' had been issued for three journalists and one official from the Sports and Youth Administration of Mashhad. Sexual abuse of children and teenagers in Iran has previously made headlines with complaints from the parents of students against Saeed Toosi, who was accused of 'sexual abuse.' Although this Quran reciter, close to the office of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, was sentenced to four years in prison, ultimately the judiciary, under the influence of individuals reportedly close to the leader's office, issued a verdict of acquittal for Saeed Toosi in December 2017. Last autumn, reports of sexual corruption involving some government officials of the Islamic Republic also made headlines.