Appeal by the lawyer of the former player, accused of sexual assault, shows video surveillance images from moments before the alleged assault. He says they prove the victim’s account is “inconsistent.”
Defense of the ex-footballer Daniel Alves, currently in pretrial detention on suspicion of sexual assault on a woman in a Barcelona nightclub, filed an appeal asking for his release. According to El Periódico, which had access to the document, the former Barcelona player’s lawyer argues that video surveillance images contradict the story of the alleged victim.
In the document, Cristóbal Martell argues that the images cast “valuable doubt” on the woman’s story, which was qualified by the judge as very credible. Dani Alves’ legal team considers, however, that the statements of the alleged victim, 23, “are as contradictory as they are inaccurate.”
In question are the video surveillance images of the private nightclub, where the young woman and the player made contact for the first time. The sexual assault reportedly took place in the private bathroom, where there are no cameras.
In the video you can see the arrival of the woman, accompanied by her cousin and a friend. Martell says that in the video you can see the group “in a playful and festive way, surrounded by many people.” The lawyer also argues that the the space is open and “very different from the context and scenario of environmental intimidation” that the jurisprudence says that it is necessary for it to be presumed that the alleged aggressor is capable of “dominating the capacity and self-determination of the victim.”
This article is exclusive to our subscribers: subscribe now and benefit from unlimited reading and other benefits. If you are already a subscriber, log in here. If you think this message is an error, please contact our customer service.
Source: Observadora
