BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The woman who accused Dani Alves of sexual assault at a nightclub last year will not seek financial compensation from the Brazil soccer player, the El País newspaper reported Sunday.
El País said people close to the investigation told the daily that the 23-year-old woman decided to relinquish her right for compensation if Alves is convicted. She reportedly said she is only seeking to ensure that justice is done and that the player pays for what he allegedly did with prison time.
Also Sunday, Alves — who denies any wrongdoing — reportedly asked the judge to testify again to give his version of what happened in December at a high-end nightclub in Barcelona, according to the Cadena Ser radio network. Alves’ defense team reportedly told Brazil’s GloboEsporte.com that the player changed his version of what happened during his testimony.
The judge on Friday agreed with state prosecutors after hearing the testimonies of Alves, his accuser and a witness that he should remain jailed, without the right to bail. The Brazilian star has spent two nights in a pre-trial jail near Barcelona.
Neither the police nor the court would disclose any details of Alves’ case, and the Spanish press has published differing accounts of the alleged events.
Under Spain’s sexual consent law passed last year, sexual assault takes in a wide array of sex crimes from online abuse and groping to rape, each with different possible punishments. The worst case of rape including violence can receive a maximum sentence of 15 years.
The 39-year-old Alves has won 42 soccer titles, including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil. He played in his third World Cup, the only major title to elude him, last month.
Mexican club Pumas terminated Alves’ contract signed in July after hearing of his arrest in Spain.
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