Dani Alves, an ex-Brazil international, drank heavily before entering the Barcelona nightclub where he allegedly r*ped a young woman, according to a friend testifying in court on the second day of the footballer’s trial.
During the afternoon hearing at a Barcelona court, over 20 witnesses testified about Alves’s inebriation and the victim’s grief following the alleged assault.
The trial began on Monday, with the young woman victim testifying for nearly an hour from behind a screen to avoid being “visually confronted” by Alves during a closed-door hearing.
Alves, one of the world’s most decorated footballers, is accused of raping a lady in a VIP section of Barcelona’s Sutton nightclub early on December 31, 2022.
The defender was arrested three weeks later and has been in custody ever since. He rejects all charges.
Several police officers testified on Tuesday, describing the victim’s agitation and “shock” when they arrived to the nightclub, as well as her fear that “nobody would believe her” if she filed a report.
On Monday, her friend and cousin, who were with her at the nightclub, informed the court about her distress after departing the bathroom.
Alves appeared in court again on Tuesday, dressed in a grey pullover, dark trousers, and trainers. He was handcuffed to a police officer and sat silently in the front row.
Bruno, Alves’ Brazilian buddy who went to the club with him, also testified in court, telling the court, with the help of a Portuguese translator, that the footballer had drunk a lot of alcohol in numerous bars in the hours before they went to the nightclub.
Stank of alcohol
When they arrived, they invited the three young women to join them at their table in the VIP section, and Bruno described Alves’ behavior with the victim as having “a respectful chemistry”.
He claimed to have seen Alves leave for the bathroom in the VIP section, followed by the young woman.
After leaving the bathroom, Alves “continued dancing” and did not tell his friend what had transpired.
Joana Sanz, Alves’ 31-year-old wife, also testified for 10 minutes, telling the court that she was not formally divorced from the footballer and that she was at their Barcelona home on the night in question.
When he arrived home, he “smelled of alcohol,” and when entering the bedroom, “he bumped into several pieces of furniture and collapsed on the bed.”
Sanz stated that she did not want to speak with him due to “the state he was in”.
The footballer, accused of “s*xual assault with penetration,” will testify on Wednesday, the final day of the trial. He has stated that what occurred between them was voluntary.
However, his story contradicts that of the victim and prosecutors, who are advocating for a nine-year prison term followed by ten years of probation.
They also want him to pay 150,000 euros ($162,000) as compensation.
At Monday’s court, the victim’s testimony was recorded as she spoke, but her face and voice were later pixellated to prevent her identify from being revealed if the film was released.