Brazil football bosses break silence on ‘shameful’ Robinho, Alves rape cases
Dani Alves remains in Spanish jail after fails to raise bail
LONDON: Brazil coach Dorival Junior said the national team and players were going through a “difficult time” coming to terms with the rape convictions of former internationals Robinho and Dani Alves. The Brazilian team and national federation had been criticised for their silence concerning the cases of striker Robinho and full-back Alves, both aged 40.
Robinho has begun a nine-year sentence in Brazil for taking part in a gang rape in Italy in 2013, while Alves received a four-and-a-half year conviction for raping a young woman in a Barcelona nightclub in 2022. “As coach of the national team, I have an obligation to speak out,” Dorival said ahead of Saturday’s international friendly against England in Wembley.
“First, I think it’s a very delicate situation. I think of the families and especially the victims affected by these cases which occur every day in our country and around the world.” Dorival, who took over the five-time world champions in January, said the situation of Robinho whom he coached at Brazilian club Santos was particularly painful for him.
“If it has been proven that there was any crime, he must be punished even if it hurts my heart to say this about a person with whom I have always had an exceptional relationship,” added the 61-year-old. “I didn’t have the opportunity to work with Daniel, but we all know his story within football. It’s a difficult time for all of us to express ourselves in these situations.” Dorvial added: “But I care much more for the victims, for the families. “I know how painful it must have been for each of them. What I can do is help them with prayers, nothing more.” In a statement on Friday, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) described the cases as “shameful”, expressing its support for “the victims of the two brutal crimes committed by former players”.
CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues added that in an environment where “machismo reigns”, men must “fight not only sexual violence, but all kinds of violence”. Brazil full-back Danilo, who will captain the national side against England, called on the football authorities to raise awareness among young players, to put themselves “in women’s shoes in a more empathetic way”.
Meanwhile, convicted rapist and former Brazil international footballer Dani Alves will remain in jail until at least Monday after failing to raise the one-million-euro bail set by a Barcelona court to ensure his release pending appeal.
Wednesday’s surprise decision by the court caught prosecutors off guard as the footballer had routinely been refused bail since his arrest in January 2023 on grounds he was a high flight risk. One of the world’s most decorated footballers, Alves, 40, was convicted last month of raping a young woman in the VIP bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub in the early hours of December 31, 2022.
His lawyers swiftly appealed the conviction and on Tuesday requested he be let out on bail on grounds he had already served a quarter of his four-and-ahalf-year sentence in pre-trial detention. A day later, the Barcelona court approved the request on condition that Alves post bail of a million euros ($1.08 million), hand over his Spanish and Brazilian passports, remain in the country and present himself to court “on a weekly basis”.
But he has since missed a daily 2:00 pm cut-off time for presenting the funds, meaning he has had to remain in jail. His lawyer on Friday asked for a one-hour extension until 3:00 pm but his representatives had not transferred the money by that time, so Alves will have to remain in jail over the weekend until the court office reopens on Monday, legal sources said.
The footballer’s financial situation has deteriorated since his arrest in January 2023. The case led Mexican club Pumas UNAM to sack him and other sources of income to dry up, his defence team said. Since his arrest, Alves has been held at a prison near Barcelona. The appeal process could take months to complete. The court’s decision to grant him bail was angrily denounced by the victim’s lawyer as “justice for the rich”. – AFP