Ex-Barcelona Star Dani Alves Remand In Prison by Court
Dani Alves, a former star for Brazil and Barcelona, will remain in detention as he awaits his alleged rape trial because the Provincial Court of Barcelona concluded Tuesday that he poses a significant flight risk.
According to the court, “there is an enhanced danger of evading justice, related on the one hand to the severe term that could be imposed due to the present case, the strong crime evidence against him, and the substantial financial resources that would allow him to leave Spain at any time.”
Taking away the 39-year-passport, old’s according to the court, would not prevent him from traveling “by air, sea, or even by land without paperwork” out of Spain.
The court believes that if he were to return to Brazil, his country of origin, he would not be turned over to Spain because the South American nation rarely extradites its people.
The office of the public prosecutor objected to his release.
On January 2, a young woman accused Alves of sexually assaulting her at the end of December in a nightclub toilet in Barcelona.
According to individuals familiar with the situation, the player, who initially denied knowing her, revised his account multiple times before finally admitting that they had consensual encounters.
Alves is on trial for a charge of sexual assault, which includes rape according to Spanish law.
On January 20, the investigating judge made the decision to hold him in detention without bail, taking into account, among other things, the inconsistencies in his initial statements and the significant risk of fleeing the country.
After his incarceration, Alves’ Mexican team Pumas UNAM fired him.
Alves made 408 games for Barcelona during the course of a highly successful career, 391 of which came during his first stint from 2008 to 2016.
He won six La Liga championships, three Champions League medals, and four Copa del Rey trophies during his first season.
He made history by becoming the oldest player to play for Brazil in the World Cup finals in Qatar last year.
