The ex-defender of the Brazilian team remains in custody in Barcelona, the city where he is said to have committed the crime. The club he was playing for canceled his contract.
The Brazilian side Daniel Alves He is in a delicate situation after charges of alleged rape in Barcelona prompted a judge from that city, to whom he was summoned to attend his demonstration, to order provisional detention without bail. Last Saturday, January 20th, the former Canarinha player was jailed at Brians 1 Penitentiary Center and later transferred to Brians 2 Prison where he remains to this day.
The Spanish press has closely followed the development of this case, publishing new testimonies and findings that seem to increasingly compromise the former FC Barcelona footballer. Although the accused initially denied his guilt, the constant changes in his versions of the event have led investigators and public opinion to increasingly doubt his innocence.
What is Dani Alves accused of?
According to the Brazilian’s alleged victim, the sexual assault happened on the night of December 30-31, 2022 at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona. According to reports, Dani Alves raped the young woman in a bathroom at said nightclub, whereupon a security protocol was activated which included the intervention of the Mossos d’Esquadra, who recorded the woman’s statement.
What did the alleged victim of Dani Alves say?
According to Spanish media El Periódico, the woman claimed that Alves invited her to a VIP area of the nightclub and forced her into one of the bathrooms. CCTV footage would confirm that both actually entered this room, and fingerprint analysis would agree with their account of the struggle prior to the rape.
The newspaper El País said the 23-year-old is waiving even the economic compensation to which she is entitled, as her only aim is for her attacker to “go to jail and justice be served”.
“Despite the fact that the judge reminded her that, if convicted, she has the right to be financially compensated for the injuries and moral damage suffered, the woman expressly refrained from exercising this right because her aim, as she explained, this is that justice is being served and that the ex-Barca player is paying for what happened with jail,” the publication reported.
Recently, the woman’s lawyer told Brazilian media outlet UOL that her client is receiving medical attention to avoid infection from sexual abuse and to deal with the fear she faces as a victim.
“He receives psychological support from a public institution that specializes in treating victims of violence. The hospital sent him a full treatment to avoid any kind of infectious diseases since he didn’t use a condom. He also has pharmacological treatment with anxiolytics to be able to sleep,” said the lawyer.
Dani Alves remains in Brian’s 2nd prison. Photo: Composition Marca/EFE
What does Dani Alves’ defense claim?
According to broadcaster TV3, Dani Alves gave the authorities up to three different versions of what happened that night. At first he assured that he did not know the young woman who accused him, but later explained that he had seen her without anything happening, finally pointing out that it was the woman who had provoked him.
It was announced last Tuesday that the 39-year-old had hired a new defense attorney who will join the one who has worked on the case from the start. Among the objectives of Alves’ legal defense is to obtain his release against the confiscation of his passport or being banned from leaving Spain.
Why is Dani Alves in prison without being convicted?
According to the plaintiff’s lawyer, the urgency of the woman’s testimony and the risk of the accused absconding, as he has no roots in Spanish territory, were the main reasons for ordering his arrest. There are also new allegations, such as another alleged victim who denounced improper touching.
If found guilty, the footballer faces up to 12 years in prison. In sports, the club Pumas de la UNAM, with whom he had a contract until mid-2023, announced their split shortly after the winger’s arrest.