Dani Alves seems in courtroom accused of raping lady in Barcelona membership

Former Barcelona star Dani Alves is because of go on trial for rape this morning in Spain with the specter of a 12-year jail sentence hanging over his head.

The Brazil worldwide, 40, might be pushed to courtroom in a police van from Brians 2 Prison close to the Catalan capital, the place he has been held on remand for over a yr.

State prosecutors have stated they needed him jailed for 9 years if convicted of raping a 23-year-old lady in a rest room at Barcelona’s upmarket Sutton nightclub on December 30 2022.

A lawyer appearing for Alves’ feminine accuser, who’s prosecuting the father-of-two on her behalf, has referred to as for him to face the utmost 12-year jail sentence if he’s discovered responsible.

Both prosecutors are additionally looking for a compensation fee of €150,000 (£128,000).

The former Barcelona defender has denied wrongdoing however admitted to having cheated on his spouse along with his accuser, insisting intercourse was consensual. 

Failing an eleventh-hour plea cut price deal, the trial will begin at 10am native time (9am GMT) at Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial Court and is scheduled to final for 3 days.

The three judges, who’re sitting with out a jury – as is regular in Spain for intercourse crime instances – have round a fortnight to return their verdict as soon as the trial ends and can announce their choice in a written ruling.

Alves, who can decide to take the stand on the final day, has insisted he had consensual intercourse with the girl who has accused him of forcing himself on her.

After seeing bail refused final June, Alves informed Cuatro programme ‘En Boca de todos’: ‘It might be confirmed that I’m not responsible and it was a consensual relationship.

‘It would by no means cross my thoughts to impose a sexual act on anybody.’

His accuser has been given permission to testify behind-closed-doors.

Her cousin and a feminine buddy who had been together with her the evening of the alleged intercourse assault are among the many witnesses referred to as to offer proof together with waiters within the VIP space of Sutton’s the place Alves met the girl whose accusations ended along with his arrest and incarceration forward of at the moment’s trial.

Alves’ spouse Joana Sanz will testify on behalf of the footballer following his pre-trial public apology to the mannequin for ‘dishonest on her’ with the girl who claims he raped her.

The footballer was ordered to face trial final November.

Initially it was reported Alves had been accused of placing his fingers down a lady’s underwear inside a rest room within the VIP space of Sutton nightclub earlier than it emerged his alleged sufferer was saying she had been raped.

According to the prosecution, Alves – who was on vacation in Barcelona on the time after taking part in for Brazil on the World Cup in Qatar – provided champagne to the younger lady and her buddy.

Alves then allegedly invited the girl to enter a small enclosure on the nightclub, which she says she didn’t know was a bathroom.

Once contained in the footballer confirmed a ‘violent perspective’ and compelled her to have intercourse regardless of her resistance, prosecutors say in line with the indictment.

‘The sufferer requested him a number of instances to let her go, saying she needed to go away however the defendant prevented her from doing so,’ in line with the indictment, which describes a ‘state of affairs of anguish and terror’ for the younger lady.

The lady, who acquired medical therapy after leaving the nightclub, is being handled for post-traumatic stress, in line with prosecutors.

Her id has by no means been revealed. 

Alves’ authorized staff misplaced a battle to maintain the trial behind closed doorways, although media and the general public won’t be current when the accuser takes the stand.

He was sacked by Mexican facet UNAM Pumas following his arrest in Barcelona at first of final yr after he flew again to the Catalan capital to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.

Alves has made repeated bail requests however they’ve all been turned down, with judges saying his alleged sufferer’s model of occasions was coherent and stating the defendant had modified his story a number of instances because the proof authorities have towards him has emerged.

Alves claimed earlier than his arrest he had by no means met his feminine accuser however ended up backtracking after being held.

In an unique interview from his cell in Brians 2 Prison close to Barcelona final June with Spanish TV and newspaper reporter Mayka Navarro, he claimed: ‘The solely particular person I’ve to make an apology is my spouse, Joana Sanz.’

There are stated to be a number of indications that corroborate the sufferer’s claims and deny the reasons put ahead by Alves thus far.

Police discovered seven fingerprints of the sufferer within the cistern and likewise within the sink.

Footprints are additionally thought to have urged a sequence of actions on the scene that matches the 2 statements given by the accuser.

As nicely as two spells at Barcelona, Alves has performed for Seville, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.

He is broadly thought-about as one of many biggest full-backs of all time.

Alves turned the oldest participant to signify Brazil in a FIFA World Cup by taking part in in his nation’s defeat towards Cameroon within the closing spherical of Group G video games in December 2022.

He famously performed for Barcelona from 2008-2016 and briefly returned to the LaLiga staff for the 2021-22 season.

At the beginning of the yr his mum Lucia Alves brought about controversy and left herself open to future prosecution by naming and picturing her son’s rape accuser in a social media put up she has now eliminated.