OVIEDO, Spain
Brazilian football player Dani Alves arrived at a Barcelona courtroom on Monday morning to begin his sexual assault trial.
The 40-year-old, who played for FC Barcelona, is accused of raping a young woman in a nightclub bathroom on Dec. 30, 2022.
The lawyer representing the woman is asking for a 12-year prison sentence for Alves, though Spanish prosecutors are arguing for nine years behind bars.
Alves has already been in pre-trial detention for around a year, as various requests for him to be released on bail were denied.
His story about what happened that night has changed on several occasions.
When the allegations first emerged, he told Spanish media that he did not know the girl at the Barcelona nightclub. He later suggested that nothing happened in the bathroom that night, a story that would again shift.
However, the alleged victim’s story has been consistent and backed by biological evidence. She said he brought her into a bathroom and locked the door. There, he tried to force himself on her, hitting her in the face. Eventually, she said he raped her.
According to Spanish daily El Periodico, his latest version is that he was severely impaired by alcohol that night and not fully in control of his acts.
While it is not confirmed, Alves could take this stand sometime this week.
The trial is scheduled to run for three days. From there, the conviction will be decided upon by three judges, as is typical for sexual assault cases in Spain.
Hundreds of journalists are in the courtroom reporting the story, though they are not allowed to film or record what goes on at the trial.
