Arrest of footballer Dani Alves in Spain: anti-sexual assault protocols in action

To avoid and reduce attacks in discotheques, Barcelona City Council has implemented the “No callem” protocol.

© Council of Barcelona

Text by: Elise Gazengel

2 mins

In Barcelona, ​​since Friday January 20, the Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has been remanded in custody after an accusation of rape in a nightclub in the city, a nightclub which activated its anti-aggression protocol that evening.

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From our correspondent in Madrid

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The facts took place on the night of December 30 to 31 and the anti-sexual assault protocol  

 ("We are not silent" in Catalan) was triggered by the Sutton, the nightclub where the alleged rape took place.

This system was launched by Barcelona City Council in 2018. It is currently applied by 80% of the clubs in the city.

It includes in particular the training of all the personnel of the establishments by the town hall to prevent, to act in the event of aggression, or signs of chemical submission in particular. 

Trained night establishment staff

And if an attack is committed, like this night of December 30, then the protocol is triggered: first, the victim is isolated in a quiet place, a person in charge offers him his support and warns the emergency services and the police.

Finally, all evidence is immediately preserved and the suspected attacker can be held by a security guard until the authorities arrive. 

And that's exactly what this club did the night Dani Alves was accused of rape.

The alleged attacker - the footballer therefore - could not however be retained because he had already left the nightclub when the victim was taken care of by a security guard.

She was also about to leave, visibly in a state of shock.

The toilets in the VIP area where the events took place were immediately preserved to allow the authorities to take samples and the surveillance videos were immediately handed over to the police.

Contradictions in the player's speech

It is precisely these images that allowed the courts to corroborate the complainant's version on Friday January 20, and, conversely, to confront the footballer with his lies: he who changed his version twice before admitting that he had indeed spent several minutes in these toilets with the young woman.

The Spanish nightlife is now completely involved in this fight. 

Two major Catalan and Spanish nightlife associations have announced that they are launching a "popular accusation" procedure against Dani Alves and demanding - if proven guilty - the maximum penalty: 12 years in prison.

The president of these associations explained that this legal involvement was also a way of dissuading and publicly intimidating future aggressors from acting in their clubs when nearly 20% of sexual assaults in Barcelona today are committed in nightclub. 

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