Barcelona, Spain, Jan 4 (EFE).- The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Barcelona, Spain, is investigating the disclosure on social media of the identity of the young woman who denounced soccer player Dani Alves for sexual assault.
Lucia Alves, mother of the Brazilian national team player, shared a video on her Instagram account on Thursday, revealing the identity of the victim (showing a video of her and including her personal information) and accusing her of wanting fame and money.
“He who trusts in God doesn’t lose the battle,” the post reads, accompanied with a video in which the alleged victim is seen dancing and celebrating her birthday.
The footballer has been in prison since Jan. 20, 2023, for an alleged crime of sexual assault committed on Dec. 30, 2022, against a young woman in a nightclub in Barcelona, where he spent a large part of his career. The trial is scheduled to begin on Feb. 5 at the Barcelona Court.
Legal sources have informed EFE that the District Attorney’s Office of Barcelona is investigating the distribution of these images and is analyzing all the elements related to this situation.
The District Attorney’s Office also said that it will request that the victim’s image be protected on the day of Alves’ trial, which is scheduled to begin on Feb. 5 at the Barcelona Court.
The victim’s lawyer, Ester García, announced on Thursday that she would report anyone who distributed images of her or information that could identify her.
In a statement, the lawyer denounced that the dissemination of images or any information that allows the identification of a victim of sexual violence “constitutes a flagrant crime.”
“It is regrettable that attempts are still being made to destroy people who dare to denounce,” the statement read.
Faced with this situation, the lawyer for the private prosecution warns that she will urge legal action “against all those persons or outlets that disseminate the images” of the victim or provide any information, direct or indirect, that allows her identification.
The president of the Association of Women Jurists Themis, Pino de la Nuez, told EFE that the dissemination of images of victims of sexual assault is a crime and the intention of those who perpetrate it is usually “to question the truthfulness of the victim, to harm and intimidate” and that once the images are published “the damage is already done.”
“The victim cannot be criticized for denouncing”, she defended, adding that “the victim has the right to go on with her life” after such an aggression, and this should not be questioned.
The Barcelona prosecutor’s office is asking for nine years in prison for Alves in addition to ten years of probation and a compensation of 150.000 euros for the victim, while the private prosecution is raising its ask to twelve years in prison, the maximum penalty established in the Spanish Penal Code for this type of crime. EFE.
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