The Spanish court revealed on Thursday that prosecutors are seeking a nine-year prison sentence for Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves due to allegations of sexual assault against a woman in a night club in Barcelona last year. The court also stated that there is enough evidence to proceed with a trial, with a date for the hearings yet to be set.
In addition to the prison sentence, prosecutors are also seeking 150,000 euros in damages for the victim, a prohibition on any contact with her for 10 years, and a decade of supervised release for Alves. If found guilty, he would also be banned from working with minors for 10 years in accordance with Spanish law.
Under Spain’s new sexual consent law, the charge of sexual assault encompasses a wide range of crimes with varying possible punishments. Alves, who is 40 years old, has been in pre-trial jail since January and has had all of his bail requests denied. The court deemed him a flight risk, despite his offers to surrender his passports and wear a tracking device.
Alves has had a successful soccer career, winning 42 titles, including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil. His lawyers have not yet issued a response to the latest request for freedom, and a comment from them is awaited.
Source: AP soccer – https://apnews.com/hub/soccer