Footballer Dani Alves tried for rape in Barcelona

The 40-year-old participated in the last World Cup in Qatar EFE – Antonio Lacerda

Former flagship player of FC Barcelona during its glorious years, notably spent with PSG, Brazilian footballer Dani Alves is on trial from this Monday, February 5 in Barcelona for the alleged rape of a young woman in a nightclub. ;nbsp;
 

The prosecution – which requires before the trial in Spain – is demanding nine years in prison against him as well as the payment of 150,000 euros to the young woman and ten years of supervised release at the end of his incarceration.

This trial, which is scheduled to last until Wednesday, opens at 10:00 a.m. local time (09:00 GMT).

In pre-trial detention for more than a year, the player, who disputes the facts, is accused by this young woman of having raped her in the toilets of the school. a VIP room at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona, ​​on the night of December 30 to 31, 2022.

According to the indictment, Dani Alves, 40, was in this nightclub with a friend on the evening of the incident. After offering champagne to the complainant, her cousin and a friend, he allegedly invited her to accompany him to an exclusive area of ​​the nightclub with toilets, which she did ;she didn't know.

"Anguish and terror" 

The player, who was on vacation in Barcelona after participating in the World Cup in Qatar with Brazil, then allegedly had a "violent attitude" towards the young woman, whom he allegedly forced to have sexual relations, again according to the prosecution.

"The victim asked him several times (…) to let her go, saying that she wanted to leave but the accused stopped her", can we still read in the indictment, which describes a "situation of anguish and terror" for the young woman.

Medically taken care of that night, the complainant suffered from "post-traumatic stress of generally high intensity" for which she is being monitored, according to the public prosecutor.

🔴Dani Alves ya está en la Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona

Así llegó el exfutbolista brasileño, escoltado y en un furgón de los Mossos

👨‍⚖️A las 10 arranca el juicio por delito agresión sexual

🗣️ Declararan 28 testigos. Hoy, 6. Mañana, 22

📹 @DBR8 https://t.co/rVCXqFrZgO pic.twitter.com/8FvTLtzP8q

— Diario SPORT (@sport) February 5, 2024

In order to protect her in the face of the great media interest this trial arouses, her hearing will be held behind closed doors. Her identity will also never be revealed during the hearings while a screen will allow her not to be “visually confronted with the accused”, the court decided.< /p>

The latter, who must also hear around twenty witnesses, on the other hand rejected the request of the prosecution which wanted the trial to take place entirely behind closed doors.

An agreement still possible

Since the start of the affair, Dani Alves has changed his version several times, going so far as to say in a video at the beginning of January that he does not ;had never met the complainant.

He then justified himself by asserting that he did not want to jeopardize his marriage before ending up recognizing that he had had a relationship with the young woman. sexual relationship, but that it was consensual.

Spanish justice has repeatedly refused his release pending trial, citing a "high risk of flight" of the player in Brazil, a country which generally does not extradite its nationals.

In theory, an agreement remains possible until the start of the trial between the accused, the complainant and the prosecution, within the framework of which Alves could admit his guilt in exchange for & #39;a reduction of his sentence and compensation for the victim.

Also read: Footballer Dani Alvès accused of rape: 12 years in prison requested by the victim who does not want a financial agreement

At the end of November, the plaintiff's lawyer denied having reached such an agreement but admitted the existence of "conversations" launched at the request of the player's lawyers who had failed to reach any "any agreement".

One of the most successful footballers in history, Dani Alves enjoyed the most glorious period of his career at Barça, between 2008 and 2016, where he won 23 trophies.< /p>

The player, who also played for Sevilla and Juventus in Turin, was playing for the Mexican club Pumas at the time of his incarceration in January 2022. This club, with which he was under contract until ;#39;at the end of last season, immediately fired him.