Barcelona Legend Dani Alves Sentenced To Jail 

Barcelona Legend Dani Alves Sentenced To Jail 

A Spanish court has handed down a sentence of four and a half years in prison to former Brazil international Dani Alves for the charge of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

Following his jail term, Alves will be placed on five years of probation and has been ordered to pay 150,000 euros ($162,000) in compensation to the victim.

“The victim did not consent and there is evidence that, beyond the complainant’s testimony, permits the rape to be considered proven,” the Barcelona court wrote in a statement.

“The court considers as proven the fact that the defendant abruptly grabbed the complainant, threw her to the ground and penetrated her vaginally, preventing her from moving, while the complainant said no and wanted to leave.”

The prosecution initially sought a nine-year jail sentence for the 40-year-old, along with an additional 10 years of probation.

Alves, who maintained during the trial that the sexual encounter was consensual, has the option to appeal the court’s decision.

Dani Alves, known as one of the most accomplished footballers with a career that included stints at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, faced trial on charges related to an incident at the Sutton nightclub on December 31, 2022.

The victim testified that she was forcefully coerced into sex by Alves in a private bathroom, despite her pleas to stop, which caused her significant distress and fear according to prosecutors.

Witnesses, including a friend of the victim and police officers who responded to the incident, provided testimonies that highlighted the victim’s distress and the emotional impact of the events of that night.

Alves maintained his stance that the encounter was consensual and refuted claims of physical violence.

“I am not that type of man, I am not violent,” he told the court after his defence lawyer asked if he had forced her to have sex.

“If she wanted to leave, she could have left, she was not obligated to be there,” he added.

During the trial, Alves’ friend and his wife, Joana Sanz, provided accounts of the events that unfolded that night, including Alves’ alcohol consumption and state upon returning home.

The court proceedings shed light on a complex and sensitive issue that will have lasting implications for all parties involved.