Daniel Alves arrested in Spain on sexual assault charges

The soccer player Daniel Alves, 39, was arrested this Friday morning when he gave a statement to the Spanish police on charges of sexual abuse. The episode reportedly took place on December 30 in Barcelona. After the statement to the authorities, the athlete, who played in the last World Cup with the Brazilian national team, left the scene in a police car a few minutes after 10 am. He denies the allegations and police have not provided further details about the case.

Daniel Alves was “arrested in custody” and will now be questioned by a judge, according to a spokesman for Catalonia’s regional police, the Mossos d’Esquadra. The information was released by the Spanish press. The complaint against the player was accepted by the Justice of the country on the last day 10.

According to the Spanish newspaper ABCthe episode allegedly took place in the early hours of December 30, at the Sutton nightclub, in Barcelona. Daniel Alves would have put his hand between the underwear of the woman who made the accusation. She looked for her friends and security at the club after the incident.

The security team at the nightclub called the Catalan police (Mossos d’Esquadra), who took a statement from the victim. She also underwent medical examination at a hospital. Daniel Alves left the scene before the police arrived.

According to the Spanish press, cameras at the establishment show that Daniel Alves and a girl are going to the bathroom. About 47 seconds later, both leave the scene. Then the player and their friends leave the nightclub. The woman starts to cry, is supported by her friends and reports having been sexually harassed by the athlete.

In a recent interview, the Brazilian denied the accusation. “First, I would like to deny everything. I was in this place (nightclub), with more people, enjoying it. Everyone who knows me knows that I love to dance. I was enjoying it, but without invading the space of others. Always respecting the surroundings “, said Daniel Alves in an interview with the program Y Ahora Sonsoles, on the Spanish channel Antena 3.

“When you decide to go to the bathroom, you don’t have to ask who is there either. I’m sorry but I don’t know who this lady is. I don’t know her name, I don’t know her, I’ve never seen her before in my life”, declared the player.

He even made an appeal and said that the matter was disturbing his family. “In all these years, I have never invaded someone’s space without permission. How am I going to do that with a woman or a girl? For God’s sake, no! Enough! Enough! This is hurting me, especially my family and my surroundings . They know who I am.”