Dani Alves, the former Barcelona and Brazil footballer, has been found guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub in Barcelona and sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
This verdict comes after Alves denied the charges of sexual assault that took place on the night of 31 December 2022.
The court has also ordered that Alves pay €150,000 (R3-million) in compensation to the victim and spend five years on probation following his prison term.
The prosecution’s case detailed how Alves and a friend lured the victim and her friends with champagne, leading them to a private area of the nightclub.
It was then that Alves became aggressive and committed the assault, despite the woman’s requests to leave.
The victim’s trauma was described as causing her “anguish and terror.”
Alves’s defence saw several changes in his stories, from outright denial of knowing the accuser to later claims of a consensual sexual encounter.
This case, prosecuted under Spain’s broad sexual assault laws which include rape, highlights the recent legislative emphasis on explicit consent, famously known as the “Only Yes is Yes” law.
This legal framework advocates for sentences ranging from four to fifteen years for proven sexual assault cases.
Alves, a celebrated footballer with over 400 appearances for Barcelona and major contributions to Brazil’s national team, including participation in the 2022 World Cup, now faces a spoiled legacy as he begins his prison sentence.
Pictured above: Dani Alves in court.
Image source: File
