The former Brazil international Dani Alves has denied raping a young woman at a nightclub in Barcelona .
Alves is currently standing trial after being accused of sexually assaulting a girl in a bathroom at the Sutton nightclub in the Catalan capital on the night of December 30 to 31, 2022
After two days of listening to testimony from the alleged victim, witnesses, and experts, Alves told a Spanish court that their encounter had been consensual.
Alves also denied hitting the women and grabbing her hair.
‘I am not that type of man; I am not a violent man,’ Alves said in response to his defence lawyer if he had forced her to have sexual relations.
The alleged victim told state prosecutors that she danced with Alves and willingly entered the bathroom, but that later when she wanted to leave he would not let her.
She said he slapped her, insulted her and forced her to have sexual relations against her will.
‘She never told me to stop. We were both enjoying ourselves,’ Alves said, while repeating that the woman never asked to leave or made any indication that she did not want to have sexual relations with him.
Dani Alves has been in pre-trial detention since January 20, 2023. His bail requests were denied because the judge considered him a flight risk.
Brazil does not extradite its citizens who are condemned in other countries.
He changed his defence during the investigation while in detention, initially denying any sexual contact with her before admitting to consensual sexual encounters.
He claimed that not admitting to the encounter at first was an attempt to save his marriage.
Alves was instructed before the trial to set aside 150,000 euros in case he is found guilty and ordered to pay damages.
Alves won scores of titles with top clubs including Barcelona, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain.
He also helped Brazil win two Copa Americas and an Olympic gold medal at the age of 38. He competed in his third World Cup, the only major trophy he has not won, in 2022.
Alves played for Barcelona from 2008 to 2016 and temporarily returned in 2022. He still has a home near the city.
Following his detention, Mexican team Pumas terminated his contract.
Source | Vanguard
