Brazilian defender, Dani Alves, will face trial for an alleged sexual assault at a nightclub in 2022, as confirmed by a Spanish court on Tuesday, 14th November, 2023.
The Barcelona-based court stated that there’s enough evidence to proceed with the trial, although a date for the hearings hasn’t been set yet.
Alves has been in pre-trial detention since January after his arrest for allegedly assaulting a woman at a Barcelona nightclub on December 30 2022.
He was indicted in August by an investigative judge.Barcelona’s high court, Section 21, affirmed Alves’ prosecution.
The court cited the victim and witness statements along with expert corroboration as substantial evidence for the sexual assault charge.
The defender who was detained without bail due to flight risk concerns, had initially denied knowing the woman involved.
However, he later admitted that he knew her and asserted that their encounter was consensual.
His contract with Liga MX club Pumas UNAM, joined after leaving Barcelona in June 2022, was terminated on January 20.
Following the recent court order, both the prosecutor’s office and victim-hired prosecutors have five business days to present their provisional statements.
These will argue for Alves’ acquittal or conviction and suggest appropriate penalties.
Upon submission of these statements, a trial date will be scheduled.
Spain’s sexual consent law covers a range of offenses from online abuse to rape.
Each offense carries different potential punishments, with rape potentially carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Story: Ihuoma Ukeje