According to media reports, Brazilian footballer Dani Alves is in the dock for allegations of sexual aggression against a young woman. The judge responsible will inform Alves on Wednesday about the opening of a trial, the television station RTVE and other media reported on Monday, citing the Spanish judiciary.
A judicial spokesman said on request that he could not deny these reports, but emphasized that there was no official notification. Alves faces a prison sentence of up to twelve years in Spain. The former FC Barcelona professional has been in custody in the Catalan metropolis for over half a year.
Denied multiple requests for bail
The regional court of Barcelona had rejected several requests by the 40-year-old’s lawyers for release on bail in recent months. Among other things, the former wife and manager of the 126-time national team player and their two children live in Barcelona.
Alves had reported a 23-year-old. She accuses the Brazilian of sexually assaulting her on December 30 in a Barcelona nightclub. On January 20, Alves was therefore arrested during a visit to Catalonia 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.