A Spanish court has scheduled the trial of ex-Brazilian footballer Dani Alves for February 5-7, 2024, for an alleged sexual assault that took place in a Barcelona nightclub in 2022.
The court, based in Barcelona, decided to proceed with the trial in November after reviewing the evidence and statements collected during the investigation.
Alves, 40, has been in custody since January following his arrest for the alleged assault on December 30, 2022. Charged by an investigative judge in August, Alves is accused of raping a woman in the nightclub’s bathroom.
The Prosecutor’s Office also asked for him to pay the alleged victim €150,000 (£130,500) in compensation and for him to not be allowed within one kilometer of the woman.
Barcelona’s high court, specifically Section 21, has affirmed the decision to prosecute the footballer, citing sufficient evidence, including testimonies from the victim and witnesses, and expert analysis.
Detained since January without bail, Alves faces a potential flight risk, according to the court. Initially, Alves denied knowing the woman in a TV interview but later claimed the encounter was consensual.
After the allegations, his contract with Liga MX club Pumas UNAM, which he joined post-Barcelona in June 2022, was terminated on January 20.
Prosecutors are seeking a nine-year prison sentence, while the victim’s legal representatives are pushing for a 12-year sentence, a restraining order post-incarceration, and €150,000 in damages.
Spain‘s sexual consent law, enacted last year, covers a broad spectrum of sexual crimes, with rape carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years.
