Former Barça player Dani Alves denied jail release again over sexual assault case

Former FC Barcelona player Dani Alves has been denied release from prision again over his sexual assault case.

On Monday, a local court in Barcelona ruled out his request, arguing he still poses a flight risk.

While the former Barça defender said he will not leave the country as his children are registered as residents in Catalonia and have been enrolled in Catalan schools, magistrates believe these arrangements were made ad hoc, "almost the same day that the decision to deny his release in first place was made."

Alves is accused of raping a young woman in the bathroom of the VIP area of Barcelona's Sutton nightclub on December 30 and has been on remand in the Brians 2 prison since January 20.

The inquiry is now almost over, with a psychological report on the victim as the only step missing – once it is over, magistrates will decide whether they send Alves to trial and, if so, both the defense and the prosecutor will decide their proposed outcomes of the procedure.

No attitude of the victim 'cannot justify the attack,' say magistrates

The player's official version of events to the court has changed four times to date. In his latest account, in April, Alves acknowledged that he penetrated the woman accusing him of sexual assault, having previously denied any sexual relations. 

Regarding the alleged sexual assault, the court said that any attitude by the victim before the events "cannot justify the attack," not even she entering the toilet voluntarily.

"Even if it was the case, this would not grant any permission to Mr Alves to impose the sexual intercourse."

Also, the magistrate believes that the victim's account of the events "has enough traces of veracity in this stage of the inquiry."