Costa karate coach provided two of his victims with scholarships at a prestigious private school where he was involved

Lorenzo M. L., the 70-year-old karate trainer and former national team coach arrested in Torremolinos for allegedly sexually assaulting four minors reportedly gave two of his victims access to a prestigious private school in Malaga, where he was involved, according to SUR sources.

According to investigators, this was one of his strategies to ensure the silence of the complainants and, at the same time, to gain the trust and appreciation of their families, presenting himself as a close and caring person who made sure his favourite students had the best possible future.

People close to the case claim this is how he acted with at least two of those affected, who told the police that they had been abused by the suspect from the age of seven to approximately 15 years of age. In addition, the coach also allegedly granted this aid to a relative of these boys so that they could study at the centre.

They are not the only pupils he trained and, according to sources, he would have favoured them by providing them with these scholarships, although in the rest of the cases the minors have not been recognised as victims of the alleged paedophile.

The matter of the alleged sexual assaults by the karate master was uncovered several days ago, when the mother of one of the four complainants contacted the Redime association in Malaga, which specialises in helping people who have suffered abuse in their childhood and adolescence.

The boys, who are now aged between 20 and 25, had decided to report the incident, so the organisation, through its lawyer, María del Carmen Heredia, brought the facts to the attention of the National Police.

The case was taken on by members of the minors group (Grume) who, after hearing the young people's story and carrying out the appropriate enquiries, proceeded to arrest the suspect on 29 August. The following day, the courts ordered him to be remanded in custody, without bail, as a person under investigation for four continuous crimes of sexual aggression against minor

Apparently, the joint complaint came about after one of the boys, in a session with his psychologist, revealed what he had experienced as a child and during part of his adolescence. There he broke his silence for the first time, after which he uncovered the alleged abuse to those around him. The young man decided to open up to a friend, who had also been a student of Lorenzo M. L., after which this second boy revealed to him that he too had been abused by the investigated man when he was a minor. The same happened with a third victim.

They would not be the only ones affected by the trainer, who was dismissed by the Spanish karate federation from his position as national coach of the cadet, junior and under-21 categories once it became aware of his arrest.

Five years ago, another boy also told his mother about his ordeal. According to sources close to the case, the mother then tried to find out if there were more victims, but in the course of the investigations she allegedly received "pressure" from the suspect's circle that made her son decide not to report the case for fear of possible reprisals.

A few weeks ago, the woman received a call from the victim who had discovered the alleged abuse of two other friends and told her that they intended to bring the facts to the attention of the police.

It should be noted that the coach had become a very well-positioned and respected person both in Torremolinos and in the field of sport at national and international level. The person under investigation had a long career in karate, as he began teaching in 1979, being the instructor who guided dozens of elite athletes in their competitive careers.

He was also the founder of the Goju Ryu Club in the municipality, of which he was the head, the oldest and most awarded in Andalucía, as well as one of the members of one of the most prestigious public schools in the province, located in Malaga city. In addition, he was a municipal employee of the sports board for several years and in 2021 he was awarded the medal of Torremolinos in the category of sporting merit.

According to investigators, he allegedly sexually abused the four complainants for years, showering them with gifts and favours, as well as manipulating them emotionally and psychologically from a very young age.

Sources claim he also took advantage of the trust he had built up with the families to take the victims to competitions and, under the pretext of looking after them, to sleep with them in the hotels, where some of the alleged assaults took place. Likewise, the assaults were also committed in the facilities where they trained, especially when the children showered at the end of the sports sessions.

These events could date back to 2010, although the police do not rule out the possibility of more victims. Apparently, he had a preference for children who began to excel at an early age in sport.