Former Barcelona, Sevilla and Brazil star is facing a lengthy stint in prison after his latest appeal to be released on bail was turned down.
Alves, 40, is in custody as he waits trial for sexual assault charges brought against him earlier this year. The incident occurred on the 30th of December 2022, and he gave himself up for arrest in late January.
After changing his testimony a number of times, Alves was placed in preventative prison as a flight risk, something he and his legal team have appealed twice. On Monday the second was turned down, as per Marca.
Alves’ lawyer alleges that as a registered citizen in Barcelona, where his children currently reside, that he was unlikely to flee the country, and thus should be permitted bail until his trial took place. The prosecution argued this was ‘fictitious’, and the court appears to agree with the latter.
It means Alves will likely be facing a long stint in prison, regardless of the outcome of the trial. Typically these cases can take some time in the Spanish legal system, often gestating for between a year and two years to be resolved. For Alves, who has already spent the last four months in prison, there is a very realistic prospect he will have to spend at least the next eight there too.
