- By Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid & Kathryn Armstrong in London
- BBC News
Dani Alves has been in jail for greater than a yr since being accused of forcing a lady to have intercourse with him
Former Barcelona and Brazil soccer participant Dani Alves has gone on trial in Spain accused of raping a lady in a nightclub.
The 40-year-old has been in jail with out bail for greater than a yr for the reason that alleged incident occurred in December 2022.
Mr Alves may face up 12 years in jail if discovered responsible.
He first denied having met his accuser, however later stated that they had had consensual intercourse. His trial ends on Wednesday.
More than 30 individuals, together with Dani Alves and his estranged spouse, are anticipated to testify.
The Barcelona court docket on Monday denied his request to droop the trial in order that he might be given extra time to organize – rejecting his declare that he had suffered a trial by media.
Mr Alves’s accuser was amongst these to present proof on the primary day of the trial – talking from behind a display to guard her identification.
She alleges he lured her into a rest room in the VIP part of a nightclub in Barcelona, after which pressured her to have intercourse with him.
The girl’s cousin and a good friend, who have been each along with her on the evening of the alleged assault, additionally testified on Monday. They stated that Mr Alves had groped and flirted with them earlier in the night.
They additionally stated the girl had initially been unwilling to make a criticism as a result of she feared she wouldn’t be believed.
In Spain, a declare of rape is investigated underneath the final accusation of sexual assault, and convictions can result in jail sentences of 4 to 15 years.
The public prosecutor in the case is looking for a nine-year jail time period for Mr Alves, and for him to pay damages of €150,000 (£128,000) to the girl.
His mom, Lucia Alves – who was on the court docket on Monday alongside her son – may face prosecution herself after she named her son’s accuser in a social media put up earlier than the trial.
That was after a court docket had dominated that the girl couldn’t be recognized for her safety.
Mr Alves was formally charged in August and a court docket later determined that there was sufficient proof to ship him to trial.
Repeated requests for him to be launched on bail have been denied as a result of the courts thought of the Brazilian nationwide a flight danger.
Dani Alves is without doubt one of the most embellished footballers in historical past and has performed for a number of high golf equipment together with Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain.
He made greater than 400 appearances for Barcelona, successful six league titles and three Champions Leagues throughout two spells, and was additionally a part of Brazil’s 2022 World Cup squad.
His most up-to-date membership, Mexican aspect Pumas UNAM, terminated the Brazilian’s contract with rapid impact in January 2023.
