Judo Association President Faces Legal Challenges Amid Psychological Abuse Allegations

The world of Judo is currently grappling with a serious controversy as Sara Cárdenas, president of the Judo Association, finds herself at the center of a complex legal battle. The accusations, stemming from a complaint regarding alleged psychological abuse against a young judoka, are being met with vehement denials and a claim of a politically motivated smear campaign.

Cárdenas, who has spent over 30 years leading the association and establishing herself as a respected figure in the sport, maintains her innocence and asserts that the allegations are a deliberate attempt to damage her reputation. “This is not a process, it is a campaign of discredit towards my sports career for more than 30 years and stained the sport that I love so much, but here I am standing and giving my face, because the truth supports me and my story sustains me,” she stated in a recent press conference.

Crucially, Cárdenas emphasized that she has never been a direct coach to the athlete in question. Further bolstering her defense, she detailed her circumstances during the period when the accusations surfaced: “I was under license because I had just been a mother and when I rejoined the activities in the Code Jalisco, I did it in the administrative area, so I never had direct contact with him,” she explained. “I started a conflict in which I have falsely accused me of having psychologically damaged a young man, I say it clearly, those accusations are false, they are unfair and have been fed by interests outside the sport. I have never been coach of the athlete in question in my life, during the time that the accusations began I was on maternity license, I did not have contact with him and when I returned my role I returned. Used by blaming, to point out and to damage, ” she added.

Legal counsel for the accused, Miguel Ángel García, has raised serious concerns about the process’s validity. “Quotations that we never had knowledge, that is, it is a surprising fact for everyone, as I already commented on, they surprise her outside her parents’ house, with a baby in her arms, without having fulfilled the parameters of due process, that is to say, it is that there are records within the file, that is the thing we say that the requirements are how we never know them,” García asserted. He further stated that the authorities involved acted irregularly by arresting Cárdenas without proper notification and prior notice of citations.

The implications of this case extend beyond the athlete and Cárdenas’s professional standing. It’s also impacting her role as a professor at the Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), where she has recently been separated from her position. The legal proceedings are aimed at clearing her name and rectifying the damage caused by these unfounded accusations. “They are for appeal of the case,” García emphasized.

We recommend exploring related news regarding the Judo Association and the evolving legal proceedings.