2023-12-20 14:06:09
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 4 minutes ago, Updated now
Dani Alves JB Autissier / JB Autissier / Panoramic
Still temporarily imprisoned in Catalonia, Dani Alves will be tried for rape in February.
The trial of Brazilian footballer Dani Alves, accused by a young woman of having raped her in a nightclub in December 2022, will take place on February 5, 6 and 7, the Barcelona court announced on Wednesday, where it will be held. Former FC Barcelona and Paris-SG player, ex-Brazilian international, Dani Alves, 40, has been in pre-trial detention since January 2023 in a prison near Barcelona. The prosecution, which is demanding in Spain before the trial, demanded nine years in prison against him. The prosecution which charged him with“sexual assault” – a criminal category including rape in Spain – also requested that the complainant be compensated to the tune of 150,000 euros and “the prohibition (for Alves) to approach” of her for ten years.
The player disputes the facts, which allegedly took place in the toilets of the VIP area of the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona, on the night of December 30 to 31, 2022. According to the prosecution, the player, who was on vacation in Barcelona after having participated in the World Cup in Qatar with the Brazilian selection, would have shown a «violent attitude» towards the young woman, whom he allegedly forced to have sexual relations, despite her refusal. The complainant, who was medically treated that night and who filed a complaint on January 2, is currently suffering from “generally high intensity post-traumatic stress” for which she is being followed, according to the public prosecutor.
Spanish justice has repeatedly opposed the release of Dani Alves pending his trial, highlighting a “high risk of flight” of the player in Brazil which, like many other countries, does not generally not extradites its nationals. Alves had changed his version several times, going so far as to say in a video in early January that he had never met the complainant. He justified himself by saying that he did not want to jeopardize his marriage. One of the most successful footballers in history, he enjoyed the most glorious period of his career at Barça, between 2008 and 2016, where he won 23 trophies. In Qatar, the defender became the oldest Brazilian ever to play in the World Cup. A few hours after the announcement of his indictment in January, the Mexican club Pumas announced that it was terminating the player’s contract, initially scheduled to last until June 2023.
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