The Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has to remain in custody in Spain after almost five months after being accused of sexual aggression against a young woman.
The district court of Barcelona has rejected an application by the 40-year-old’s lawyers for release on bail, the state TV broadcaster RTVE and the Europa Press news agency reported, citing legal circles.
This confirmed the decision of a lower court. The responsible court said on request that these reports were correct.
It was the third attempt by criminal defense attorney Cristóbal Martell to get Alves out of prison. The lawyer for the 126-time Brazilian international had again assured his application that there was no risk of absconding. He insisted Alves wanted to stay in Barcelona – where he was arrested in January. His two children and his former wife and manager lived there, among others.
Imprisonment of up to twelve years is threatened
However, the public prosecutor and the judge rejected this assertion as unbelievable. They see the danger that the footballer could flee to his home country, where he would be safe from extradition. Like many other countries, Brazil does not extradite its own citizens. Alves faces a prison sentence of up to twelve years in Spain. However, the investigations are not yet complete. The judge must decide whether there will be a trial against the Brazilian from Bahia.
A 23-year-old reported the former star of FC Barcelona. She accuses him of sexually assaulting her in a Barcelona nightclub on December 30. On January 20, Alves was therefore arrested during a visit to the Catalan capital and taken into custody. He had initially denied any sexual contact with the woman. His lawyer later stated that the sexual acts had taken place with the woman’s consent. Until the arrest, Alves had played for the Mexican club UNAM Pumas.