Ex-Barcelona star Dani Alves to undergo rape trial on Monday
The former right-back has been in jail since January 2023
Former Brazilian footballer Dani Alves will go on trial on Monday with prosecutors seeking a nine-year prison sentence for allegedly raping a woman in Barcelona on December 31, 2022.
The trial will start at 10am local time at a court in Spain’s second city where the former Barcelona star is currently spending his time in jail.
Alves has been in prison in Spain without bail since January 2023 and the defender has denied any wrongdoings and claimed that what happened with the victim was consensual after initially denying any interaction with her.
The media will follow the proceedings since the court denied Alves’ request to hold the trial behind closed doors. However, the media will not be present when the footballer’s accuser will record her statement.
Alves was in Barcelona after playing in the 2022 World Cup. As per the prosecution, the former player offered champagne to the young woman and her friends after which he invited her to a place inside the nightclub, which the women didn’t know was a lavatory.
After getting inside, Alves showed a “violent attitude” towards the woman once she denied having any sexual activity with him.
"The victim asked him several times... to let her go, saying she wanted to leave but the defendant prevented her from doing so," according to the indictment, which describes a "situation of anguish and terror" for the young woman.
The 40-year-old was indicted by an investigating judge in August 2023 who said that there was enough evidence to open a trial.
It must be noted that in Spain, a general accusation of rape is examined in detail and convictions can lead to prison sentences of four to 15 years.
Alves is one of the most decorated footballers of all time with 42 titles to his name which includes six La Liga, five Spanish Super Cups, five Copa del Ray, four UEFA Super Cups, three UEFA Champions League and many other trophies.
He also won two FIFA Confederations Cup and Copa America titles with Brazil.
In his 21-year-long career, Alves represented big teams like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Monaco, and Juventus. He played a total of 869 games and scored 61 goals while providing 178 assists from the right flank.
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