Former Barcelona star Dani Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for sexual assault. The 40-year-old was arrested in January 2023 as part of an investigation into an alleged incident that took place at a nightclub in Barcelona. The Spanish public prosecutor’s office accused Alves of sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman on the night of December 30, 2022, at the Sutton nightclub.
Alves has consistently denied the charges against him, but on Thursday morning, he was found guilty. In addition to the prison sentence, he has been given five years of supervised freedom upon release and has already paid €150,000 to the victim, along with legal fees. Furthermore, Alves is prohibited from communicating with the victim for nine and a half years and is not allowed to go within one kilometer of her.
The Spanish public prosecutors had sought a nine-year prison term for Alves. The court stated, “The ruling considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent and that there are elements of evidence, in addition to the testimony of the complainant, to understand rape occurred.”
Alves’ lawyer, Ines Guardiola, has announced that they will appeal the decision. She firmly believes in Alves’ innocence and is determined to defend him until the end. Guardiola stated, “He is in one piece. Now we have to study the sentence calmly.”
Alves, who played 408 matches for Barcelona across two spells and represented Brazil 126 times, has been in custody since his arrest. Prior to the trial, he was held in a prison northwest of Barcelona. During the trial, five people testified, including the alleged victim, her friend, her cousin, a waiter, and a doorman from the nightclub. Alves’ defense team requested that he testify last and on the final day of the trial.
On the final day of the trial, forensic, medical, and psychological experts testified. Alves spoke towards the end of the proceedings and invoked his right to be questioned only by his lawyer, refusing to answer questions from the alleged victim’s lawyer.
Throughout the investigation, Alves has provided conflicting accounts of the events. Initially, he denied claims of sexual penetration, stating that the woman had performed oral sex on him. However, during his second testimony, he admitted that sexual penetration did occur but claimed it was consensual. Alves confessed to initially providing false information about the incident in an attempt to preserve his marriage.
The severity of the sentence has been a point of contention for the victim’s prosecution team. David Saez, a member of the team, expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, questioning whether it truly reflects the gravity of the proven facts.
Dani Alves’ case has attracted significant attention due to his status as a former Barcelona star and his impressive football career. The outcome of the trial has left many shocked and divided opinions on the appropriate punishment for such a crime. As Alves prepares to appeal the decision, the case continues to captivate public interest.