Spanish prosecutor seeks 9-year jail term for Alves in sexual assault case

MADRID — A Spanish prosecutor is seeking a prison term of nine years for former Barcelona and Brazil soccer player Dani Alves who is due to stand trial on charges of sexual assault against a woman in Barcelona last year, a court document showed on Thursday (Nov 23).

Alves, who has been held in prison since his arrest on Jan 20, allegedly violently assaulted a woman in the bathroom of the VIP area in a Barcelona nightclub early in the morning of Dec 31, the document said.

Alves has said that he had consensual sex with his accuser after initially denying any sexual encounter with her.

The prosecutor also asked for restraining orders for Alves following the jail term and for him to pay damages worth 150,000 euros (S$220,000) to the woman.

In August, a court in the Barcelona area formally indicted Alves after finding evidence of wrongdoing by the 40-year-old player and later decided there was enough evidences to send him to trial. No date has yet been set.

In Spain, a claim of rape is investigated under the general accusation of sexual assault and convictions can lead to prison sentences of between four and 15 years.

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