The mother of Brazilian football star Dani Alves has launched an extraordinary attack on the woman he is accused of raping.
Lucia Alves took the astonishing step of naming her son's accuser and posting photos of her claiming to be partying after the alleged attack, in a crude attempt to discredit her.
Her son, 40, was arrested in Barcelona on January 20 on suspicion of rape after flying from Mexico to Spain and has been in custody since.
Now Lucia has told her 15,000 Instagram followers alongside a selfie photo of the young woman whose first and last name she published: “See the complainer for the first time.”
Lucia further highlighted how the 24-year-old, who will testify against Alves at his rape trial in Barcelona next month, had reversed her original decision to waive her right to compensation if the footballer is convicted.
And Alves' mother, who previously accused 'Judas traitors' of taking her imprisoned son from her, completed her astonishing post by publishing videos of his female accuser partying.
Lucia claimed the footage was taken after Alves, who was fired by Mexican club Pumas over the allegations, was arrested in late December 2022 over the alleged rape in a nightclub.
Lucia then published a selfie photo of her with her son, who is married to model Joana Sanz, alongside a message that read: 'I would give my life for you, my love. I love you to infinity and beyond'
In another post alongside a photo of Alves with his loved ones, referencing his upcoming trial, she added: “It doesn't matter what we have experienced or are going through or what we have yet to experience. What matters is the love that unites us and we will give our last drop of blood to get you out of that trap, my son.
She used the footage to try to discredit medical reports submitted as part of the prosecution case against her son, which highlighted how his alleged victim suffered from anxiety and depression.
Lucia then published a selfie photo of her with her son, who is married to model Joana Sanz, alongside a message that read: 'I would give my life for you, my love. I love you to infinity and beyond.”
In another post alongside a photo of Alves with his loved ones, referencing his upcoming trial, she added: “It doesn't matter what we have experienced or are going through or what we have yet to experience.
“What matters is the love that unites us, and we will give our last drop of blood to lure you out of that trap, my son.”
Spanish court officials have not yet commented on the post and Brazilian media speculate that Lucia could have gotten into trouble with both the Spanish state and the woman who has accused Alves of rape.
Lucia published her post as her son prepared to take the stand at a three-day trial after being warned he could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors laid out their case against Alves, who has been in prison near Barcelona since January 20 last year and served 40 years behind bars last May, in a pre-trial indictment they filed in November.
It showed that they were demanding a nine-year prison sentence for the footballer and ten years' probation if convicted.
They also said they wanted the father-of-two to pay £130,000 (150,000 euros) in compensation to his victim, who has not been named or identified in her home country of Spain, if he is found guilty.
They also said they wanted the father-of-two (pictured) to pay £130,000 (150,000 euros) in compensation to his victim, who has not been named or identified in her home country of Spain, if he is found guilty.
Lawyers acting for Alves' alleged victim and also prosecuting him in the same trial have demanded the maximum prison sentence of twelve years.
Spanish prosecutors accuse Alves of punching his alleged victim in the face before raping her in the early hours of December 31, 2022.
They will also claim the footballer left his female accuser with a feeling of 'fear and terror' after he locked her in a toilet at Barcelona's swanky Sutton nightclub, groped her and tried to get her to perform a sex act on him to have it carried out before he completed the rape without putting on a condom. .
The trial will take place from February 5 to 7 at the Audiencia provincial court in Barcelona.
Alves has admitted cheating on his model wife Joana Sanz by having sex with his female accuser, but insists it was consensual.
Prosecutors described the crime he is accused of in their indictment as “sexual assault with penetration.”
The football player was ordered to stand trial in November, paving the way for an indictment by the state's attorney.
It was initially reported that Alves was accused of putting his hands inside a woman's underwear in a toilet in the VIP area of Sutton nightclub, before it emerged that his alleged victim said she had been raped.
He was fired by Mexican side UNAM Pumas following his arrest early last year in Barcelona after flying back to the Catalan capital to attend his mother-in-law's funeral.
He has made repeated bail applications but these have all been rejected, with judges saying his alleged victim's version of events was coherent and pointing out that Alves had changed his story several times as evidence authorities have emerged against him.
Alves claimed before his arrest that he never met his female accuser, but eventually returned after his arrest.
In an exclusive interview from his cell at Brians 2 Prison near Barcelona in June with Spanish TV and newspaper reporter Mayka Navarro, he claimed: 'The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.'
In addition to two spells at Barcelona, Alves played for Sevilla, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time.
He became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup in December 2022 in Qatar.