Daniel Alves: The former player's trial in Spain will last three days and will have testimonies from 28 witnesses
The former player is being accused of rape, which resulted in his preventive detention throughout 2023. The hearing will be conducted by judge Isabel Delgado Pérez, together with magistrates Luis Belestá Segura and Pablo Díez Noval.
The trial is scheduled to take place from February 5th to 7th - Photo Reproduction/Josep Lago/AFP
The legal process in Spain involving former Brazilian player Daniel Alves, accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a nightclub in Barcelona, is scheduled to take place over three days, with the participation of testimonies from Alves himself. The Barcelona Audiencia, which represents the highest instance of local justice, officially announced this Monday (29) that the trial is scheduled to take place from February 5th to 7th in a city court, confirming information released by the Spanish press in December.
During the sessions, it is planned to provide statements by Alves, as well as 28 witnesses present at the nightclub of Barcelona on the night the alleged incident occurred on December 30, 2022. It is important to highlight that these witnesses were summoned by both the defense and the prosecution to participate in the trial.
Case Context
The former player faces accusations of sexual assault against a woman that occurred in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022. The player vehemently denies the accusations. In Spain, rape cases are investigated as sexual assault, and convictions can result in prison sentences ranging from 4 to 15 years.
In February last year, Alves had his arrest ordered. This occurred after the discovery of fingerprints belonging to him and the woman accusing him, along with biological tests that confirm the correspondence between the remains of semen found in the young woman's genital region and your DNA. Since then, the Brazilian has remained in preventive detention, under the justification of a risk of escape. The former player does not have the right to bail and will remain detained in the same prison on the outskirts of Barcelona awaiting trial.
Alves already altered its narrative on at least three occasions. The first time he addressed the matter, during an interview on a TV program in Spain, he claimed not to know the complainant. In April, already detained, Alves told the judge in charge of the case that he had consensual sexual relations with the young woman, but without penetration. He justified the initial lie as an attempt to hide the extramarital relationship of his wife, Spanish model Joanna Sanz, who subsequently filed for divorce.
In a final version, Alves admitted the occurrence of penetration, reiterating, however, that the relationship was consensual, a claim denied by the alleged victim. The judge in the case also determined that Daniel Alves will have to pay 150 thousand euros (approximately R$798 thousand) to the alleged victim to cover possible damages.
Three Days of Judgment
In the first session scheduled for February 5, Daniel Alves is expected to give his testimony. That same day, six witnesses will be heard, while the other 22 witnesses are scheduled to testify the following day. The last session, scheduled for February 7, will be dedicated to expert procedures, in which reports and conclusions will be presented. From that point on, judge Isabel Delgado Pérez, responsible for the trial, will begin the process of preparing the sentence.
The court reported that there is still no set deadline for the release of the final sentence on Daniel Alves' case. Until this happens, the player will remain in preventive detention, in accordance with the current court decision. The Spanish Public Prosecutor's Office is seeking a sentence of nine years in prison for the player, while the alleged victim's defense sought a more severe sentence, with 12 years in prison. The young Spanish woman, who claims to be the victim, is not scheduled to attend the trial, as the court ordered her identity to be preserved.
Daniel Alves' Defense
One week before the start of the trial, the Brazilian's defense is in a race against time, seeking an agreement with the alleged victim's lawyers. Sources on both sides, as reported by Spanish TV network Telecinco, say negotiations are ongoing. If an agreement is reached, the charges will be dropped, resulting in a mistrial. Telecinco, citing prosecution sources, reports that conversations about the agreement were formally filed with the Court. However, the release of images of the alleged victim by Daniel Alves' mother had a negative impact on the negotiations, chilling the process.
At the end of December 2023, Lucia Alves, the player's mother, shared on her social networks a video with images of a young woman who claimed to be the Spanish victim of rape by the Brazilian. The Barcelona Court had prohibited the disclosure of information and images of the alleged victim during the ongoing process. The young woman announced her intention to sue the player's mother, as reported by the Spanish newspaper "El Periódico"
