AFP photo.
Barcelona: Former Brazilian footballer Dani Alves, who was accused of raping a woman, went to trial here on Monday. Alves has been accused of raping a woman in a nightclub here during a holiday after the Qatar World Cup in 2022, Agence France-Presse reported.
The prosecutors are demanding a nine-year prison sentence along with ten years of conditional liberty after that, under supervision. They are also demanding Alves pay the woman $162,000 in compensation.
Alves, the 40-year-old defender, who was arrested in January last year, was lodged in a prison near Barcelona.
The woman accused the footballer, who played defence for Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-German, of raping her in a bathroom of the VIP area of the upmarket Sutton nightclub in Barcelona during the wee hours of December 31, 2022.
However, a three-time Champions League winner, Alves, denied the accusation and claimed that they had consensual sex. But said this after he denied once of knowing the woman.
In the trial, the court is expected to hear around 30 people’s testimonies. These include Alves himself, his wife, the complainant and staff from the nightclub.
According to the case, Alves offered champagne to the woman and her friend. Then he invited her to a lavatory, and once both were inside there, the footballer turned aggressive and forced the woman to have intercourse. The case alleges he did not mind her resistance.
The woman was subjected to medical treatment after the alleged club incident and is in medical treatment for post-traumatic stress, the prosecutors alleged.
Alves' legal counsel failed to keep the trial behind closed doors. However, media is not allowed inside when the accuser takes a stand.