Argentine golfer Angel Cabrera was extradited from Brazil to his homeland on Tuesday to face trial on charges he assaulted three former partners.
The 51-year-old Cabrera, who has won both the Masters and the U.S. Open, has been in jail since January when Brazil’s federal police arrested him on an Interpol warrant.
Cabrera had spent months on the run from an Argentine case involving assault claims filed by former girlfriend, Cecilia Torres Mana. Her case was unified with those of his former wife Silva Rivadero and former partner Micaela Escudero. They accuse Cabrera of assault, intimidation and causing injuries.
Argentinian television networks showed the golfer being handed over to local authorities in the border city of Puerto Iguazu, 745 miles (1,200 kilometres) north of Buenos Aires. He will be transported Wednesday to his native Cordoba to face trial, expected to begin in July.
Cabrera's lawyer, Carlos Hairabedian, downplayed the allegations.
“The accusations come from long ago,” he told TV Todo Noticias, “and he was not in jail because the facts attributed to him are insignificant. They are light injuries.”
In a recent interview, Torres Mana said Cabrera was controlling.
“We have to stop him so he leaves us at peace. He thinks you are his for the rest of your life and that you have to take the attacks and constant humiliation,” she said.
The golfer travelled to the United States in July 2020 without asking for permission, as requested due to the investigation. Prosecutors in Cordoba then issued an international arrest warrant. Cabrera then came to Brazil, where he was arrested.
Cabrera is the most accomplished golfer from South America. He won the U.S. Open at Oakmont in 2007 by one shot over Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. He won the Masters in a playoff in 2009 and lost in a playoff at the Masters in 2013 to Adam Scott.
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