BARCELONA.- The possible state of intoxication of Dani Alves on the night of the alleged rape of a woman in Barcelona and the nervous state in which the complainant was left occupied part of the testimonies of the second day of the trial against the former Brazilian soccer player.
After an initial day in which the young woman gave her testimony behind closed doors and her two companions corroborated the nervous state in which they found her, this Tuesday around twenty witnesses were summoned, including several of the police officers who assisted the young woman. , employees of the nightclub where the rape supposedly occurred and the Brazilian friend who accompanied the athlete that night.
As happened the day before, Alves arrived at the Barcelona Court from the prison where he has been held for more than 12 months and listened to the testimonies from the front row, closely escorted by a police officer. Dressed in a gray jersey, dark pants and sports shoes, the 40-year-old soccer player remained silent and with a serious expression.
Assisted by a translator from Portuguese to Spanish, his friend Bruno asserted that on the day of the events Alves had drunk a lot, after several hours eating and drinking alcohol in various places, until he and the former Barça and PSG winger decided to go together to finish the evening from December 30 to 31, 2022 at the Sutton nightclub.
This mention of Alves’ possible state of intoxication could outline the defense strategy of his lawyers, since alcohol could act as a mitigating circumstance.
After inviting the three young women to share with them at their table in the restaurant’s private room, Alves maintained a “respectful chemistry” with the complainant, according to his friend, who said that he saw him go to the bathroom in the exclusive area and then to the young woman
Upon leaving, he said, Alves “continued dancing” and they did not talk about what had happened.
Clash of versions in Barcelona:
The footballer, who must testify on Wednesday, assures that the relations were consensual.
His version clashes with that of the complainant and the Prosecutor’s Office, which requests nine years in prison for the former Brazilian international for an alleged crime of “sexual assault with penetration”, in addition to the payment of compensation of 150,000 euros (about $162,000) to the woman and another decade of probation after serving the sentence.
Several of the agents who testified focused on the state of nerves and “shock” in which they found the young woman upon her arrival at the nightclub, as well as her concern because “they would not believe her” in her complaint.
The trial against Alves began on Monday in the Barcelona Court, surrounded by great media expectation.
The first session included the statement of the complainant, for whom the magistrates had determined a series of measures to protect her anonymity, as well as the installation of a screen to avoid “visual confrontation” with the accused.
Source: AFP
