Dani Alves to be tried on sexual assault charges in Spain – reports

Brazilian defender Dani Alves is to be tried for sexual assault in Spain, EFE reported on Tuesday.

In an order, Section 21 of the Barcelona High Court upheld the charges against Alves, concluding that victim and witness statements as well as expert corroboration provide sufficient evidence to try him for sexual assault.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star was arrested in January after being accused of raping a young woman in the toilets of a Barcelona nightclub on December 30 last year.

Alves, 40, has since been held without bail in a Barcelona prison and his requests for release have been rejected by the court because he is considered a flight risk.

When the allegations first came to light, Alves denied in a television interview that he knew the woman involved. He later said the sex with the accuser was consensual.

Alves’ contract with Liga MX club Pumas UNAM, the club he joined after leaving Barcelona in June 2022, was terminated on January 20.

After Tuesday’s court order, the prosecution and the prosecutors hired by the victim have five working days to present their provisional statements, during which they will have to debate whether Alves should be acquitted or convicted and, if so, what sanction they believe it must be applied.

After submitting these statements, a trial date will be set.