Two women said on Monday that former Brazilian national team player Daniel Alves groped them before allegedly raping a friend of theirs at a nightclub in Barcelona in 2022, at the start of the ex-full back’s trial in the Spanish city.
A friend and a cousin of the woman who brought accusations against Daniel Alves to court were at the nightclub with her that night and told the tribunal that the former player invited them to the VIP area where he was with a friend.
In emotional testimonies, they claimed that Daniel Alves groped them and flirted with the alleged victim before describing what happened after the alleged assault. Their names were not disclosed by the court.
The 40-year-old ex-Barcelona player was arrested in January of last year and has been in pretrial detention since then.
Daniel Alves initially denied having any sexual relationship with the woman and said that he did not know her. Later, he stated that he had consensual sex with her in a nightclub bathroom, adding that his initial denial was to protect his marriage.
Whether he had consensual or forced sex with the woman is the crux of the trial at the Provincial Court of Barcelona.
The public prosecutor in the case accuses Daniel Alves of forcing the woman to have sex and not using a condom. The prosecution is seeking a sentence of 9 years in prison and for Daniel Alves to pay €150,000 in compensation to the victim.
The woman’s cousin stated that she had not even kissed Daniel Alves before leaving the public area and was unaware they were entering the bathroom where the alleged rape took place when he insisted they go somewhere else.
After about 15 minutes, Daniel Alves came out of the bathroom and, a few minutes later, the woman followed, looking “devastated,” the cousin said.
“She said she needed to leave. We went to get our coats and before we got there, my cousin told me that he (Daniel Alves) had hurt her a lot and ejaculated inside her,” the witness said.
Dressed in blue jeans, a white shirt, and a dark jacket, Daniel Alves sat impassively in the front row of the courtroom during the testimony.
The two witnesses stated that the friend was initially reluctant to file a complaint because she was worried that no one would believe her. Since then, she has lost a lot of weight, cannot work, and suffers from anxiety, rarely leaving home, they added.
The woman herself testified earlier on Monday in a closed-door session, speaking behind a screen and with a distorted voice to protect her identity.
