What to remember from the three days of the trial of the former footballer, tried for “sexual assault”.

The trial of the former PSG and Barca player ended on Wednesday. He is accused of sexually assaulting a young woman for acts in December 2022. Nine years in prison has been requested against the Brazilian, who has been in prison since January 2023. The date of judgment is not yet known.

The trial of Brazilian international footballer Daniel Alves, who played for PSG and FC Barcelona, ​​ended on Wednesday 7 February after a three-day trial in Barcelona. He is accused of sexual assault, a series of crimes, including rape, in Spain for acts on the night of December 30 to 31, 2022. Held in pre-trial detention, he faces up to twelve years in prison. While the verdict is expected soon, franceinfo: sport recaps the three days of the trial.

What is the fact?

On January 2, 2023, a young woman (whose identity is protected) filed a sexual assault complaint against Daniel Alves for acts on the night of December 30 and 31, 2022 in a Barcelona nightclub. An investigation was then launched by the Superior Court of Catalonia, which led to the Brazilian being taken into custody. – which denies the facts – On January 20, 2023.

On a magistrate’s order, he was placed in pre-trial detention for sexual abuse. Since his two requests for appeal have been rejected, he will be held in jail until his trial begins on February 5, 2024. Meanwhile, the prosecution requested nine years in prison with ten years of supervised release on November 23, 2023 and 150,000 restitution. Euros to the victim. His lawyer pleads for acquittal, while the opposing side seeks twelve years in prison.

Monday February 5: The victim and her loved ones testify

To begin the trial, the prosecutor was heard by the court for more than an hour, during a closed hearing. His voice was changed and his face was pixelated on the recording, to avoid any leaks. According to the prosecution, Alves would have “violent attitude” To the girl. He allegedly offered champagne to the complainant, his cousin and a friend along with his friend Bruno who was present on the evening of the incident. “Very tactile”.

He then allegedly asked the complainant to accompany him to a room with a toilet (which the complainant did not know). He then allegedly slapped her, tried to perform oral sex on her and penetrated her without contraception.

“The victim asked him several times (…) to let her go, saying that she wanted to go, but the accused prevented her from doing so”, we read in the indictment. She would have spoken to her loved ones about it immediately. A friend of the prosecutor who was present on the evening of the incident indicated on Monday that Alves had “too much trouble” To the victim, J “cry too much”. “She doesn’t sleep, started taking antidepressants (…) rarely leaves the house”His cousin, Tears, confirmed in court.

Tuesday 6 February: Those close to Alves at the helm

The next day, relatives of the Brazilian footballer were visited, including his friend Bruno. The defense focused its strategy on Alves’ high blood alcohol level. This element, considered an aggravating circumstance in France, is a mitigating circumstance in the Spanish Penal Code (Article 20). According to Bruno, Alves started drinking at a restaurant in the afternoon and stayed drunk until he returned home at 4 am.

“When he entered the room, he bumped into several pieces of furniture and fell on the bed.”, his wife Joanna Sanz testified. The problem is that this version differs from the version initially presented by Bruno during the investigation: he later confirmed that Alves “a little drunk”. Even Brazilian, he explained the gropings by “The Language Problem”.

On the facts, friend Bruno described the relationship between the accused and the complainant as follows “A Respectable Relationship”. Alves allegedly did not report the incident to his friend or his wife after returning home. His behavior would not have changed. “He came back to dance with us in the same atmosphere as before”, simply assures Bruno. Appearing on the stand that same day, the nightclub manager and police officers, for their part, debated. “terror” And “concern” of the complainant.

Wednesday 7 February: Alves’ dangerous defence

The third and final day was the most anticipated since Dani Alves took the helm. He could not give details about the incidents in the nightclub toilets, but decided to speak only to answer questions from his lawyer and not from the prosecutor. “I’m not a violent man”Reiteration of the Brazilian, who maintained that the sexual relationship was consensual.

He specifically gave an account of the day of 30 December. “We went out with my friends around 2pm, initially just for lunch. We ordered five bottles of wine and Japanese whiskey. I drank more or less two bottles of wine and whiskey, then a gin and tonic at a bar.”, he introduced emphasizing his drunkenness before bursting into tears. About the victim, “We were dancing close and she started brushing against me”He defended himself.

Not enough to polish her image with the prosecutor, who, during the conclusion, directly contradicted the Brazilian by judging the prosecutor’s story. “Totally reliable” And he points out that he has not changed like the accused since the commencement of the proceedings. On Wednesday, videos of the nightclub party were shown to the same complainant — however, there was no camera in the restroom — who said she only saw “An Ordinary Girl Dancing”. “Blaming her for this situation is grossly unfair. Just because a woman agrees to have a drink doesn’t mean she’s sexually attracted.”she added.

The prosecutor identified the victim’s post-traumatic stress and recalled the doctor’s findings regarding her knee injury. “Strong enough effect” visible “In the pictures we can observe normal behavior related to alcohol (for a person who claims to be drunk). He is seen walking casually towards the VIP lounge. He had total control over what he was doing.”She concluded, also wondering why Dani Alves didn’t “come tell me” to the complainant and why the latter kept crying. “This case and these facts do not deserve a minimum sentence,” supported the prosecutor, as Alves rejected a request for temporary release from the camp “Risk of Flight” is in another country “More important now that a possible conviction is so close”.