On Thursday, a Spanish court sentenced former Brazil star Dani Alves to four and a half years in prison for raping a young woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.
“The victim did not consent, and there is evidence that, beyond the complainant’s testimony, permits the r*pe to be considered proven,” the Barcelona court stated in a statement.
Prosecutors had recommended a nine-year prison sentence for the three-time Champions League winner, followed by ten years on probation.
Alves, 40, is one of the world’s most accomplished footballers, having played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain during his illustrious career. He went on trial earlier this month on charges of raping a woman at the Sutton nightclub on December 31, 2022.
According to prosecutors, his accuser, who testified behind a screen to hide her identity, claimed that Alves physically pushed her to have s*x in a secret bathroom of the nightclub despite her asking him to let her go, causing her “anguish and terror”.
A companion who was accompanying her burst into tears as she told the court how the victim was “crying uncontrollably” after exiting the bathroom, claiming Alves “really hurt” her.
Police officers who assisted the woman informed the court about the victim’s agitation and “shock” when they arrived to the nightclub, as well as her fear that “nobody would believe her” if she filed a complaint.
Alves, who was present in court for the entire three-day trial, testified that his s*xual encounter with the woman was consensual and denied punching her and seizing her hair.
“I am not that type of man, I am not a violent,” he told the court after his defence lawyer asked if he had forced her to have s*x.
“If she wanted to leave, she could have left, she was not obligated to be there,” he added.
‘Smelled of alcohol’
Alves’ friend, who was with him that night, said that the football player consumed wine and whisky before heading to the disco.
His 31-year-old wife, Joana Sanz, told the court on Tuesday that he appeared very inebriated when he returned to their Barcelona house that night and that she did not want to talk to him because of “the state he was in”.
Alves “smelled of alcohol” as he entered the bedroom, and “he bumped into several pieces of furniture and collapsed on the bed,” she testified.
Alves originally denied knowing the woman in a television interview, but subsequently admitted to having s*x with her, claiming it was consensual. He told La Vanguardia newspaper in June that he lied because he was worried his wife would abandon him.
The player has been detained since his arrest in Barcelona in January 2023. His petitions for bail have been routinely denied by courts, which viewed him as a flight risk due to his wealth.
Brazil does not extradite its citizens who are condemned in other countries.
Alves is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, having won 42 championships throughout his tremendously successful career.
His career peaked with Barcelona from 2008 to 2016, when he won 23 championships. He was under contract with the Mexican team Pumas UNAM at the time of his arrest. He was fired shortly after being detained.