Dani Alves changed his testimony again
Ara newspaper - the Spanish-language daily in Catalonia - reported on February 20 that Alves had just given a new testimony before the judge. According to this source, the Brazilian defender "lie to protect the victim". Journalist Cesc Maideu quoted a close source: "The truth is that Alves wants to protect this young girl." The 39-year-old defender said it was the woman who actively approached him and sexually assaulted him, when Alves "had not touched her".
Ara commented that this was by far the "weirdest defense attempt" of the case and contradicted Alves' previous testimony. In total, the Brazilian defender gave five different statements about the incident.
At first, Alves insisted he did not know the victim, then said that he had seen this woman but nothing happened. Then, the former Barca and PSG defender changed again when she affirmed that she took the initiative to move towards him. In early February, Alves admitted for the first time that he had sex with the 23-year-old girl.
During a closed-door hearing at the Barcelona Court of Appeal on February 17, Alves' lawyer Cristobal Martell argued that the relationship between the client and the 23-year-old woman was consensual, according to La Vanguardia.
Martell also stressed that the woman had no marks or injuries compatible with the rape or force she alleges. The lawyer said the medical report from the hospital clinic the woman went to the morning after the incident proved that the two had consensual sex.
Alves' attorney also argued that the footage from the nightclub's security camera contradicts the 23-year-old woman's testimony. Martell also explained that her knee injury was caused by consensual sex in a small bathroom. From these arguments, Martell again questioned the truth of the complainant's testimony and demanded that Alves be released on bail.
Meanwhile, the Prosecutor's Office reiterated that biological tests showed traces of DNA on the girl's body. The victim's legal team also opposed the release of Alves, arguing that with financial strength, the former Barca and PSG defender could find a way to flee the country, if released on bail.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, the court will issue a final judgment today on February 21 on an appeal by Alves' defense lawyers asking to release the client until the trial.
According to the victim's testimony, although she tried to resist, she was still forced to have sex by Alves in the toilet of the VIP area at the Sutton nightclub, Barcelona on the evening of December 30. She was then taken to the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, where the person was examined for traces of biological evidence.
On the morning of January 20, Alves was arrested by police at the Mossos d'Esquadra de Les Corts station, Barcelona city, Spain and taken to the Ciutat de la Justicia court. Since then, he has been held at Brians Prison 1 without bail. After three nights, Alves was transferred to Brians 2 - where most of the prisoners were accused of sexual assault.
If he goes to court, the 39-year-old defender could wait more than a year for the case to be heard. If convicted, Alves could receive a prison sentence of four to 12 years.
After Alves was arrested for alleged sexual assault, his wife, model Joana Sanz, filed for divorce. According to the TV program El programa de Ana Rosa, the reason Joana wanted a divorce was not because Alves was arrested for alleged sexual assault, but because the Brazilian defender admitted to having an affair. The source later revealed that Alves had called Joana Sanz in prison and explained that "he doesn't remember anything about that night because he was drunk".
