Brasil & Barcelona Star Defender In Custody On Sexual Assault Charge
Brazilian football star, Dani Alves has been taken into custody in Barcelona over allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman at a nightclub in the city in December.
The Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra confirmed in a statement that the former Barcelona defender was taken into custody on Friday, 20th January.
According to the press statement released by the Catalan authorities: “Investigating magistrate number 15 of Barcelona has received today, as a detainee, the football player Dani Alves, accused by a woman for an alleged sexual assault, in events that allegedly happened in a Barcelona discotheque this past month of December,” the statement said.
“The magistrate has ruled provisional jail without bail, for the ongoing case for a crime of sexual assault,” the statement said. But the judge allowed that Alves could have communications while in jail, it added.
The woman who made the complaint against Alves testified Friday before the magistrate, as did a witness in separate, closed-door appearances before the judge and were also separate from Alves’ arraignment.
The woman’s lawyer has presented a private prosecution against Alves, permitted under Spanish law, that is in addition to the state prosecutor’s case.
The charge of sexual assault in Spain could apply to anything from unsolicited and unwanted sexual groping to rape.
Police did not provide any details.
Alves, 39, has confirmed he was at the nightclub at the time but has denied any wrongdoing, telling Antena 3 TV that he had ‘never seen’ the woman before.
‘I was there, at that place, with more people having fun. Everybody knows I love to dance. Having a good time but without invading the space of others,’ the player added.
Alves, who now plays for Mexican side Pumas UNAM, was in Barcelona on holiday.
His footballing career has seen him win the Champions League three times with Barcelona as well as playing for Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain over his long career.