Dhe Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves has to remain in custody in Spain because of the allegation of rape. This was announced by the responsible court in Barcelona on Tuesday. The judges rejected the request of his criminal defense lawyer Cristobal Martell to have the 39-year-old former Barcelona star released from prison.
A 23-year-old woman reported to Alves that she raped her in a nightclub in Barcelona on December 30. On January 20, he was therefore arrested during a visit to Barcelona and taken into custody. Alves had initially denied any sexual contact. His lawyer later stated that the sexual acts had taken place with the woman’s consent.
Alves last played in Mexico
According to the ad, the woman went to a disco with two other friends and was invited by a group of Mexicans to the VIP area of the bar. There, a waiter asked her to sit down with Alves and a friend. She herself did not know Alves and did not know that he was a professional footballer. He asked her to go through a door behind which the toilets were, but she didn’t know. There he beat her and forced her to have oral sex.
The judges cited the seriousness of the accusation and the high risk of absconding as reasons not to release Alves now. At a court hearing last Thursday, the defense attorney suggested that Alves could hand in his passport and report regularly to the police.
The court saw the risk that the very wealthy Alves could flee to his native country of Brazil, where he would be safe from extradition, but too great. The Brazilian was under contract with FC Barcelona until 2022 and played for Mexican club UNAM Pumas until his arrest.