SOCCER
Why was Dani Alves remanded in custody because of a tattoo?
Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves is being held without bail after his arrest over allegations that he sexually abused a woman in a Barcelona nightclub.
Dani Alves remains in custody pending trial for an alleged sexual assault on a young woman at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona and further details have emerged about what led the judge to detain the Brazilian. According to judicial sources quoted by El Mundo, the alleged victim recognised a tattoo that Alves has on his body.
The woman was able to identify a tattoo of a crescent moon on the soccer player’s abdomen. In her testimony, she added that she first saw the tattoo when Alves allegedly tried to force her to perform oral sex on him during the 16 minutes they spent together in the VIP lounge bathroom.
According to Alves, the complainant climbed on top of him while he was sitting on the toilet seat, which the magistrate attempted to contradict by asking him about the hypothetical moment in which the alleged victim had been able to see the tattoo. The judge argued that if the Brazilian’s statement had been true, the young woman would never have been able to see the tattoo in such detail, as he would still have had his shirt on.
It was at this moment that Alves changed his story, claiming that he had stood up when the woman entered the cubicle where the alleged assault took place. And later, the Brazilian contradicted himself once more by stating to the police that sexual relations between the pair had been consensual.
Why was Dani Alves considered a flight risk?
This was one of “a number of contradictions” which led the judge to remand Alves in custody, along with the alleged victim’s consistent, detailed testimony. Spain does not have an extradition treaty with Brazil, which was another key factor. Were Alves to return to his native country, it would be very difficult to bring him back to Spanish soil to face charges.
Why was Dani Alves moved to another prison in Barcelona?
On Monday, Alves was transferred from the Brians 1 prison to the nearby Brians 2, a smaller complex which houses inmates convicted of sexual offences, with the Department of Justice of the Generalitat de Catalunya aiming to “guarantee his safety” before the case moves any further forward.
One of the next steps Alves is expected to take is to appeal against the judge’s decision. According to Y ahora Sonsoles, a current affairs programme on Spanish television, the appeal is being handled by a new team of lawyers. “At the moment, a meeting is being held between Brazilian lawyers, the lawyer who has been handling the case up until now and a law firm belonging to one of the ‘Togas de oro’ (a group of Barcelona’s most influential criminal lawyers), which will be defending Alves from now on”, reported Catalan journalist Carlos Quílez.