In Summary
- Dani Alves found guilty at rape trial
- The Brazilian Soccer Star Sentenced to four years and six months in jail
- He Must also pay victim €150,000
Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves was found guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in a Barcelona nightclub, a Spanish court ruled on Thursday.
The top court in Spain’s Catalonia region also ordered Alves, who had maintained throughout that the sex was consensual, to pay 150,000 euros ($163,000) to the victim.
“The sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent, and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven,” the court – the Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona – said in a statement.
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Alves Denied Any Wrongdoing
The 40-year-old former Barcelona defender was arrested in January last year and has been held on remand since then
He denied any wrongdoing during a trial that took place over three days this month.
The three-judge panel sentenced Alves to four years, six months.
State prosecutors had sought a nine-year prison sentence for Alves while the lawyers representing his accuser wanted 12 years
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Alves Sexually assaulted his victim
The court found Alves Sexually assaulted his victim early in the morning of Dec. 31, 2022, when she said he raped her in a bathroom of an upscale Barcelona nightclub.
The victim told state prosecutors she danced with Alves and willingly entered the nightclub bathroom, but that later when she wanted to leave he would not let her. She said he slapped her, insulted her and forced her to have sexual relations against her will.
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Alves Football Career
Alves won dozens of titles with elite clubs including Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. He also helped Brazil win two Copa Américas and an Olympic gold medal.
He played at his third World Cup, the only major title he has not won, in 2022. He played for Barcelona from 2008-16 and briefly rejoined the club in 2022. He still has a residence near the city.
He was with the Mexican club Pumas when arrested. Pumas terminated his contract immediately.
