Request for provisional release is rejected and Daniel Alves remains in prison

The Court of Barcelona rejected this Tuesday (21) the request for the provisional release of the player Daniel Alves, accused of rape by a 23-year-old woman. The Spanish court claimed that there is a risk of the Brazilian athlete escaping and that he should remain in custody during the investigation process.

In his appeal, lawyer Cristóbal Martell claimed that the right-back agreed to hand over his passport and even an electronic bracelet to be monitored by the Justice, if he obtained provisional release. The Brazilian also offered to appear before the court and the authorities as often as required by Justice and promised to keep a minimum distance of 500 meters from the woman who denounced him.

For the three judges responsible for the case, Eduardo Navarro, Myriam Linage and Carmen Guil, these measures are not enough to prevent a possible flight of the Brazilian, as there is a risk of suffering a long-term sentence. If he were released and returned to Brazil, the Spanish Justice could do nothing because the country does not extradite its citizens.

The Spanish court also claimed that there is considerable evidence that Daniel Alves committed the crime and that his fortune would facilitate an eventual escape, even in the case of high bail.

The 39-year-old completed a month in prison on Monday (20). He was arrested on January 20th while giving testimony in the case of the alleged sexual assault against a woman on December 30th. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Spain had asked for preventive detention, without the right to bail, and the holder of the Investigative Court of Barcelona accepted the request, ordering the detention.

The accusation refers to an episode that allegedly took place at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona. The athlete, who defended the Brazilian team at the World Cup in Qatar, would have locked, assaulted and raped the complainant in a bathroom in the VIP area, according to the newspaper. El Periódico.

The contradictions presented by Daniel Alves in his testimony would have been decisive for the arrest order, last month. In early January, the player gave an interview to the program “Y Ahora Sonsoles“, from the Antena 3 channel, in which he confirmed that he was in the same nightclub as the woman who accuses him, but denied having touched the complainant without her consent and said that he did not even know her.

But, in the statement given to the police, according to the media in Spain, the athlete stated that he had been with the woman, but without sexual intercourse. He later admitted to having sex, but claimed the relationship was consensual. According to Cadena SER radio, images from the internal surveillance of the place confirm that Daniel Alves spent 15 minutes with the woman in the bathroom. Collected material found traces of semen both in the intravaginal tract and on the complainant’s dress.