Former Barcelona player Dani Alves went on trial on Monday for allegedly raping a woman in a nightclub.
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Alves trial finished on WednesdayEx-Barcelona defender facing nine-year jail termHas already served over a year without bail
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Alves had been in pre-trial custody for more than a year without bail, with the alleged incident taking place in December 2022. He stands accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a nightclub in Barcelona, and Spanish public prosecutors are requesting that he serves a nine-year prison sentence – as per .
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Wednesday was the final day of the trial at a Barcelona court, and Alves took to the stand to deny any wrongdoing. states that a verdict in the case is expected to arrive in 19 days, on February 27, 2024.
GettyWHAT ALVES SAID IN COURT
Alves' accuser had previously told the court he forced her into having sex with him after luring her into a VIP section toilet in the Barcelona nightclub – as the reports. Alves testified that at "no time" did she ask to leave and insisted he is "not a violent man". He also denied hitting the woman and grabbing her hair as he spent around 20 minutes on the stand.
ALVES' REQUEST FOR TRIAL DELAY
According to the , Alves claimed that he had suffered a trial by media, and requested to push back the start date for more time to prepare, but it was denied by the court. Before Alves was indicted in August, his lawyers attempted to discredit testimony by his accuser by presenting security camera footage from the nightclub where the alleged incident took place. The court responded by saying any alleged flirting should not “in any way justify an eventual sexual assault”.