Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Footballer Daniel Alves, who has been imprisoned since January 20, 2023 following accusations of rape in a Barcelona nightclub on December 31, 2022, has given his first interview following his arrest. Alves expressed his forgiveness to the alleged victim and apologized to his ex-wife. He declared: “I forgive her. I still don’t know why she did it, but I forgive her. And I’d like to apologize to the only person I have to apologize to, which is my wife, Joana Sanz.”
Alves continued to explain his version of the events that took place in the nightclub that night. He said he heard the woman crying after she came out of the bathroom, but didn’t see her. Alves mentioned that if he had seen her crying, he would have stopped to ask about her well-being. He also emphasized that if he had been informed by the nightclub staff about the woman’s allegations, he would have gladly gone to a police station to clarify the situation.
Despite having his recent appeal denied and remaining in custody in Barcelona, Alves decided to give the interview to share his perspective with the public. He said he wanted people to understand his side of the story and how he was different from the “scary” narrative that was portrayed. Alves said that only he and the alleged victim really know what happened in the bathroom that night.
The court, taking into account Alves’ life plans and his links with Barcelona, considered that there was still a risk of flight, which led to the denial of his appeal for release pending trial. Alves’ defense failed to convince the court that alternative precautionary measures would adequately address this concern.