The judge overseeing the investigation into the alleged sexual assault of Dani Alves has heard evidence from eight witnesses at a closed hearing in Barcelona. The Brazilian footballer, 39, is accused of sexually assaulting a young woman in a Barcelona nightclub on December 30th and has been in pre-trial detention at a prison outside Barcelona for the past two weeks. Alves’s defence lawyer, Cristobal Martell, a specialist in financial cases who previously represented Lionel Messi in his tax fraud case, has denied wrongdoing and claimed that the alleged assault was a consensual sexual encounter. Alves initially denied knowing the woman, but later admitted to the encounter.
The defence filed an appeal to seek Alves’s release on bail, offering to turn in his passport and wear a tracking device if he is freed pending the investigation. The judge had denied Alves bail, citing him as a flight risk. The appeal is being handled by a higher court. Under Spain’s sexual consent law, sexual assault encompasses a wide range of crimes, including online abuse, groping, and rape, each with different possible punishments. A case of violent rape can receive a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Dani Alves (Via Dani Alves/Twitter)
Alves has won numerous titles, including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil. He played in his third World Cup last year in Qatar. After his arrest, his contract with Mexican club Pumas was terminated. Alves was detained after returning from Brazil to Spain and agreeing to talk to authorities about the case. The investigation could continue for weeks, and the judge will determine if the case should go to trial.
