The woman who accused former Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves of rape gave evidence on Monday on the first day of her trial, claiming her cousin’s life was ruined by the nightclub attack.
The victim, whose identity has been protected, testified for more than an hour from behind a screen, which court officials said was “visually confronted” by Alves, who was watching in court wearing a white shirt and jeans. It is said that this was to avoid getting caught.
The victim’s testimony was seen only by the judge, and her face was pixelated and her voice doctored to avoid revealing her identity if the footage was leaked.
Alves, 40, one of the world’s most highly regarded soccer players after a career with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, was accused of raping a woman in the VIP section of a Barcelona nightclub in the early hours of December. 31, 2022 as charged.
Alves, who was arrested three weeks later and has been in custody ever since, denies the charges. The defense attorney was led into court in handcuffs.
Prosecutors are seeking a nine-year sentence, suspended for 10 years, and that the victim pay 150,000 euros (about $162,000) in restitution.
– “Crying uncontrollably” –
Prosecutors said Alves was at a nightclub in Sutton with his cousin and friends when they met a woman and bought her champagne.
He then asked the victim to go with him to another location where there was a restroom, which she was unaware of. Her prosecutor said Alves became “violent” when he entered her home, assaulted her and forced her to have sex despite her protests.
Prosecutors added that the victim felt “pain and fear” because “the victim repeatedly asked the defendant to release her and expressed her desire to leave, but the defendant would not allow her to do so.” Ta.
Her friend, who testified in court, confirmed her testimony, saying Alves had a very “sensitive manner” and was “even more attached” to the victim.
The friend broke down in tears, recalling how the victim was “crying uncontrollably” after leaving the bathroom, asking her to leave immediately and saying Alves had “really hurt” her.
~Symptoms of PTSD~
After seeing a doctor that night, the woman filed a complaint on Jan. 2, with prosecutors saying she was now suffering from “heightened post-traumatic stress.”
“She can’t sleep and is on medication and has started taking anti-depressants,” her cousin told the court, adding that she had “hardly left the house” since the attack.
Alves is scheduled to give his final testimony at the end of the trial on Wednesday.
About 30 additional witnesses were called to testify, including Alves’ wife, friends of the victim and nightclub staff.
A verdict is expected in the next few weeks.
– “A clear conscience” –
The three-time Champions League winner initially denied in a TV interview that he knew the woman, but later said they had consensual sex. He told La Vanguardia newspaper in June that he lied because he feared his wife would leave him.
“I have a really clear conscience regarding what happened that night,” he told the newspaper.
“What happened and what didn’t happen is that I forced this woman to do everything we did.”
His mother, Lucia Alves, who appeared in court on Monday, may also face legal action after naming her son’s accusers and posting photos of herself on social media in January. She then deleted her post.
Courts have repeatedly rejected his requests for bail, citing him as a flight risk.
Alves is widely considered one of the greatest defenders of all time, winning 42 trophies during a hugely successful career, including three Champions League titles with Barcelona and two Copa America titles with Brazil.
The peak of his career was with Barcelona from 2008 to 2016, when he won 23 trophies. At the time of his arrest, he was contracted to Mexican club Pumas UNAM. He was fired soon after being detained.
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