Legendary FC Barcelona player Dani Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in a Spanish prison after being found guilty of sexual assault. In addition, the Barcelona court placed a nine and a half-year restraining order on Alves and mandated that he pay the victim €150,000 (about R3 million) in compensation. Upon release, he will also be subject to five years of probation.
The court concluded that there sufficient evidence to sustain Alves’s rape allegations after finding that the victim had not given her consent to engage in sexual activity. Early on December 31, 2022, a restroom in the VIP area of the Sutton nightclub was the scene of an assault.
Alves Detained After Attack Allegations
Alves was detained for three weeks following the incident and is being charged with “sexual assault with penetration.” A nine-year term and the same amount of compensation were sought by the prosecution, and the court largely approved both requests.
The former Brazil international, who is well-known for winning three Champions League championships with Barcelona, first denied ever having met the victim. Later on, he took a step back and acknowledged having a sexual interaction but insisted it was all consensual.
Essential Testimony of Assault Victim in Trial
On the witness stand last week during a three-day trial, Alves refuted the accusation of rape. The football player maintained in court that the victim never requested to leave the restroom, saying that “if she wanted to leave, she could have left, she was not obligated to be there.”
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on the victim’s evidence, which was given behind a protective screen. Alves’ friend was one of the supporting witnesses, claiming that the footballer had ingested a substantial amount of alcohol before to entering the nightclub.
A Spanish court has jailed former Brazil and Barcelona footballer Dani Alves to four years and six months in prison for sexual assault.
According to SkySport, the 40-year-old was found guilty of assaulting a woman on New Year’s Eve in 2022 at a nightclub in Barcelona. The convicted party, who has been detained since their arrest in January 2023, is eligible to file an appeal against their sentence.
In a statement released on Thursday, February 22, the Audiencia de Barcelona stated: “Football player Dani Alves has been sentenced by the Court of Barcelona to four years and six months in prison for sexual assault.”
In addition, 150,000 euros must be given to the victim, and their legal fees must be covered. The victim’s testimony and further evidence supporting the offence are taken into account in the punishment, as it has been established that the victim did not agree.
State prosecutors were informed by the victim that she had danced with Alves and had voluntarily gone into the nightclub restroom, but that he had later refused to let her leave. She said that he had sexually assaulted her, intimidated her, and coerced her into having sex against her will.
While in detention, Alves changed his defense during the investigation process. He initially denied having any sex with her before acknowledging that he had consensually engaged in sex. He claimed that by first refusing to acknowledge the meeting, he was attempting to preserve his marriage.
Swift Verdict in the Case of Assault
Former Barcelona and Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault. Less than a week after the trial ended, Alves was given his punishment quickly. A definitive decision is anticipated in the upcoming months. Both parties retain the right to appeal the decision to the High Court of Justice of Catalonia.
Leave a Reply