Player from Defensores de Belgrano Detained for Murder of 5-Year-Old Stepson

Gonzalo Aguirre, player for Defensores de Belgrano in the Argentine third division, was arrested on Thursday accused of raping and killing his 5-year-old stepson, as confirmed by the club.

"The board and sporting community of Club Atlético Defensores de Belgrano express deep sorrow and dismay for the cowardly murder and stand in solidarity with the affected family, strongly condemning what happened and hoping that justice resolves this terrible situation", the institution reported through a statement.

"Likewise and in reference to player Gonzalo Aguirre, it is reported that he had a contract with our institution, a registered letter was sent to him, which was not answered, and he no longer belongs to the club due to breach of contract, as he hasn't attended training for six months," adds the text.

The 22-year-old player was arrested in the Buenos Aires town of Grand Bourg.

According to local press, Aguirre initially claimed that the child died from a fall while bathing. However, the autopsy revealed that he had been beaten and sexually abused, and the footballer admitted his guilt to the police.

"We saw Gonzalo as a young introverted boy, and as a player, he was very strong, having played some matches in the first team, but nothing indicated something of this magnitude. We knew that he had some problems due to strange episodes he had, but we never imagined something like this", said the club president, Marcelo Achile, to the official news agency Télam.

[Text: EFE]