Ex-Brazil international Dani Alves had drunk a lot of alcohol before entering the Barcelona nightclub where he allegedly raped a young woman, his friend told a court on day two of the soccer star’s trial.
About 20 witnesses took the stand on Tuesday during the afternoon hearing at a Barcelona court for a session focused on Alves’ state of inebriation and the victim’s distress after the alleged assault.
The trial opened on Monday with the young alleged victim testifying for more than an hour from behind a screen to avoid being “visually confronted” by Alves in a closed-door hearing.
Photo: AFP
One of the world’s most decorated soccer stars who played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain during a storied career, Alves is accused of raping the woman in a private section of Barcelona’s Sutton nightclub in the early hours of Dec. 31, 2022.
The defender was arrested three weeks later and has been detained since. He denies all the charges.
Among those testifying on Tuesday were police officers who spoke of the victim’s state of agitation and “shock” when they arrived at the nightclub, as well as her anxiety that “nobody would believe her” if she filed a complaint.
On Monday, her friend and her cousin, who were with her at the nightclub, told the court about her anguished state after fleeing the bathroom.
Alves was present in court again on Tuesday. Handcuffed to a police officer, he sat silently in the front row.
Also testifying was Alves’ Brazilian friend Bruno, who went to the club with him and told the court that the soccer player had drunk a lot of alcohol in various bars in the hours before they went to the nightclub.
On entering, they invited the three young women to join their table in the VIP area, and Alves had demonstrated what Bruno described as “a respectful chemistry” toward the victim.
He said he saw Alves going off to the bathroom in the VIP area and the young woman following him. After coming out of the bathroom, Alves “continued dancing” and did not speak with his friend about what had happened.
Alves’ 31-year-old wife, Joana Sanz, also took the stand for 10 minutes, telling the court she was at their Barcelona home on the night in question.
When he came home, he “smelt of alcohol” and on entering the bedroom, “he bumped into several pieces of furniture and collapsed on the bed.”
Alves, who is accused of “sexual assault with penetration,” was to testify yesterday on the last day of the trial.
His version clashes with that of the victim and prosecutors, who are calling for a nine-year jail sentence followed by 10 years of probation.
They also want him to pay 150,000 euros (US$161,567) in compensation.
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