Dani Alves to face sexual assault trial in Spain: Judge to indict former Barcelona defender this week over allegation he raped woman, 23, in a nightclub
- The former Barcelona man will face a trial date later this year or in early 2024
A judge has decided to indict Dani Alves following an investigation into sexual assault accusations against the Brazilian footballer, a Spanish court has said.
The judge found evidence of wrongdoing by Alves, in custody since January on accusations he sexually assaulted a woman at Barcelona club in December.
Alves will be formally indicted after being informed of the decision in court on Wednesday.
Prosecutors will then specify the charges, and a trial date will be set for later this year or early in 2024.
The former Barcelona defender has denied wrongdoing and said that sex with the accuser was consensual, though admitted to having cheated on his wife.
The former Barcelona right-back will be formally indicted after being informed on Wednesday
Dani Alves is pictured with his wife, the model Joana Sanz, in a post shared on Instagram
Alves’ lawyers did not immediately respond a request for comment.
READ MORE: Dani Alves insists the ‘only person I have to apologise to is my wife’ after sexual assault allegations despite facing up to 12 years in prison, as he again pleads his innocence
He is expected to remain in jail awaiting the trial, and bail requests have been denied because he is considered a flight risk.
The player had offered to turn in his passports and wear a tracking device.
A judge ordered Alves to be jailed after analysing the initial probe by authorities and hearing testimony from the alleged victim, witnesses, and Alves.
Alves’ lawyers unsuccessfully tried to discredit testimony by the alleged victim and other witnesses by presenting security camera footage showing that Alves and the victim were flirting with each other at the nightclub.
The court had said that the flirting should not ‘in any way justify an eventual sexual assault’.
Under Spain’s sexual consent law passed last year, sexual assault takes in a wide array of crimes from online abuse and groping to rape, each with different possible punishments.
A case of rape can carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Alves said previously: ‘It will be proven that I am not guilty and it was a consensual relationship.
‘It would never cross my mind to impose a sexual act on anyone.’
His wife, the model Joana Sanz, appeared to confirm she had split from the footballer in a social media post dated March 15.
In a handwritten letter, she said ‘it will take years to erase from my memory his way of looking at me’ and ‘here is a strong woman moving on to the next stage of her life.’
Cristobal Martell (L), defence lawyer for Dani Alves, attends a hearing to decide on the appeal against his client’s detention without bail at the Barcelona Audience court, 9 June 2023
The former Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain defender is being held at Brians 2
Alves, 40, was held in custody at Brians 1, a prison in Catalunya at the centre of a number of controversies.
Parlament de Catalunya sobre Departamentos Especial de Régimen Cerrado (DERT) heard that prisoners had been locked up for up to 21 hours a day in 2017 testimonies.
One inmate died by suicide after nine months kept in isolation, reportedly tied up on multiple occasions.
Two prison officials were convicted for ill-treatment of an inmate in September 2017.
Alves was later moved to neighbouring Brians 2 ‘for his own protection’, according to Marca.
Manu Marlasca said on Onda Cero the move was common for high-profile inmates.
Brians 2, meanwhile, is where eccentric tech guru John McAfee was found dead in his prison cell in June 2021.
Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was also once held at the prison.
Brians 1 and 2 are known as the Catalan jails for ‘famous people.’
Dani Alves, 40, won 42 titles – including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil.
He is widely considered as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, having been a full international for Brazil since 2006 and the nation’s second most-capped player of all time, making 126 appearances and scoring eight goals.
Alves became the oldest Brazilian to play in a FIFA World Cup by playing in his nation’s defeat against Cameroon in the final round of Group G games.
The right back famously played for Barcelona from 2008-2016 and briefly returned to the LaLiga team for the 2021-22 season.
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