Another controversy at Boca: restraining order for Riquelme's brother due to assault

The Justice of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires imposed a restraining order on  Cristian Riquelme, brother of Boca president Juan Román Riquelme, following an assault complaint filed by Paula Seminara, an assembly member and former club official.

The measure, valid for six months, was ordered by Bettina Mobilo, judge of Criminal, Misdemeanor, and Offenses Court No. 7, and prohibits any type of contact (physical or virtual) between "Chanchi" and Seminara. The resolution comes after an initial complaint in the United States and a subsequent extension before the Buenos Aires Public Prosecutor's Office.

The investigation is proceeding under the charge of aggravated harassment due to gender inequality. According to Seminara, the incident occurred during the match between Boca and Auckland City at the Club World Cup, held at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee. There, the woman reported that she was threatened, pushed, and intimidated, both in person and through social media.

The complaint: threats, insults, and physical violence

In her testimony, Seminara detailed that Cristian Riquelme approached her and said: "Slut, what's wrong with you? Tell your boyfriend (referring to journalist Gabriel Anello, the complainant's partner, who is very critical of Riquelme) that he's going to end up badly and you're going to end up badly too. Who do you think you are to record and make little videos at the Assembly?" Then, according to Seminara, Chanchi pushed her after placing his hand on her shoulder.

As a result of these events, the former official filed a police report in Nashville, and also went to Boca's Department of Inclusion and Equality, where she requested the preventive suspension of Cristian Riquelme from his institutional duties.

The response from those close to him

Those close to the Riquelme family, in statements to La Nación, deny the reported events. They claim that Chanchi simply asked Seminara to stop recording him, and assert that the video published by the assembly member shows the entire episode, with no aggression whatsoever. They also stated that many of the threats Seminara attributes to the president's brother come from fake accounts with no connection to him.

They also announced that this Friday they will submit a statement with new evidence, aiming to demonstrate the nonexistence of the reported events and maintain that the case originated from an unfounded anonymous tweet.