Dani Alves has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison. The 40-year-old Brazilian footballer has been found guilty of raping a 23-year-old woman by Catalonia’s highest court. This happened in December 2022 in the toilet of a nightclub in Barcelona.
Alves was arrested in January last year and has been in custody ever since. Immediately after his arrest, his Mexican club Pumas UNAM terminated his contract. Alves played two spells for FC Barcelona between 2008 and 2022 and won the Champions League three times in those years. He also played for Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. With Brazil, he participated in three World Cups. However, he never became world champion.
Dani Alves entered prison on January 20, 2023, so he has been in prison for a little over a year Can Brians 2. The footballer, together with his lawyer, Inés Guardiola, the prosecutor, Elisabet Jiménez, and the prosecutor, Ester García, learned of the verdict on Thursday. The trial ended on February 7, after three long hearings. Now, 15 days later, the verdict has been announced.
Evidence of rape
The court states that, in addition to the prosecution’s testimony, there is sufficient evidence to consider the rape proven. The Brazilian will remain under probation for five years after his release. He is also banned from contacting the victim for 9.5 years. In addition, he must pay the victim compensation of €150,000. The prosecution had asked for Alves to be sentenced to nine years in prison. Meanwhile, the victim´s lawyers had asked for the full twelve years.
Dani Alves could have been sentenced for twelve years
The Brazilian faced a maximum sentence of twelve years under Article 179 of the Penal Code. According to the legal text, the sentence is four to twelve years in the case of rape with penetration. Alves benefited from the first reform of the Penal Code, when the law ‘Sólo sí es sí’ came into force.
Rape on the night of December 30 to 31, 2022
The events took place in a private room of the Sutton nightclub, in Barcelona, on the night of December 30-31, 2022. The footballer has changed his initial narrative and has always maintained that the relationships were consensual. The complainant, for her part, has always maintained her statement.
Possibility to appeal the ruling does not have to mean an end for the Dani Alves case. Following the decision of the Supreme Court of Barcelona, the defense of the Brazilian footballer can still appeal to the Supreme Court of Catalonia. Then also at the Supreme Court. Until now, provisional release has been systematically denied by the court due to a high flight risk of the player.
Process tracked worldwide
Dani Alves’ trial has been closely followed by the media around the world. More than 270 journalists were able to watch and listen to the trial via closed-circuit television. The attention for the Brazilian and the reactions of his family were remarkable.
