Barcelona, spain – Former Brazil international footballer Dani Alves has denied rape charges during his trial in Barcelona. The charges stem from an alleged incident at Barcelona’s Sutton nightclub on the night of 30-31 December 2022.
After hearing testimony from the alleged victim, witnesses and experts over two days, Alves insisted in a Spanish court that the encounter in question was consensual. He denied allegations of violence, including hitting the woman and grabbing her hair.
“I am not that kind of person; I am not a violent person.”, Alves responded to a defense attorney’s question about whether he forced the woman to have sex.
According to the alleged victim, she danced with Alves and willingly went with him to the bathroom. However, she said that when she tried to leave afterward, he stopped her, slapped her, insulted her, and forced her to have sex against her will.
Dani Alves, on the other hand, insisted that the encounter was consensual, stressing that the woman never expressed a desire to leave or showed any reluctance to have sex.
Since January 20, 2023, Alves has been in pretrial detention after being deemed a flight risk by a judge, leading to a denial of bail. Notably, Brazil does not extradite its convicted citizens to other countries.
During the investigation, while in custody, Alves initially denied any sexual contact with the woman before later admitting to consensual encounters. He attributed his initial denial to a desire to protect his marriage.
In preparation for the possibility of being convicted, Dani Alves was advised to set aside 150,000 euros for damages.
As a decorated footballer, Alves has enjoyed success with renowned clubs such as Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, winning numerous trophies. He has also represented Brazil in international competitions, winning two Copa America titles and an Olympic gold medal.
Dani Alves, who played for Barcelona from 2008 to 2016 and briefly returned in 2022, still maintains a residence near the city. Following his arrest, his contract with Mexican side Pumas was terminated.
