Dani Alves moved to a different Barcelona prison ‘for his own protection’

Brazilian defender Dani Alves is in the eye of the storm after he was arrested following accusations of sexual assault.

Alves, 39, turned himself in on Friday morning to the Catalan police and was given preventative prison without bail, until a trial can be completed. Alves was accused of sexual assault in the early days of January after an incident in a Barcelona nightclub on the 30th of December, about which increasingly distressing details continue to emerge.

The events have caused widespread shock across Spanish football, and from his family and partner Joana Sanz, with even his ex-wife coming out in support of him.

According to Marca, Alves has been moved from the main prison in Barcelona, Brians 1, to Brians 2, ‘for his own protection’. Manu Marlasca explained on Onda Cero that the move is common protocol for high-profile inmates. Keeping the likes of Alves in smaller facilities allows for closer vigilance of other inmates behaviour towards him, but also of his own behaviour, detailing that those experiencing a fall from grace like Alves’ are at high risk of self-harm. Alves will also have his own shower, rather than with other inmates. No date has been set for Alves’ trial yet.