Former Barcelona player Dani Alves sentenced to prison for sexual assault
Alves was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for the December 2022 assault
Former soccer player Dani Alves was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman and sentenced to four years and six months in prison, a Barcelona court ruled Thursday.
“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 press office said in a statement.
Alves, 40, who was best known for his time playing for Barcelona and the Brazilian national team, has been in prison pre-trial since January 2023, following his arrest for the incident, which took place on Dec. 31, 2022. He was denied bail multiple times after being deemed a flight risk since Brazil does not extradite its citizens when convicted and sentenced for crimes in other countries.
The former acclaimed right back, whose conviction was delivered by a three-judge panel, insisted the sex was consensual, telling the court during the three-day trial, “I am not that kind of man.”
The former Brazil and Barcelona right back was convicted in Spain under a new sexual liberty law that emphasizes the lack of consent of the victim as key to determining sex crimes.
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The court ordered Alves to pay 150,000 euros ($162,000) in compensation to the victim, banned him from approaching the victim’s home or place of work, and from communicating with her by any means for nine years.
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The sentence of four years and six months is near the lowest sentence for a rape conviction, which when the rape took place was penalized by four to 12 years under Spanish law. That has since been modified to six to 12 years. The court in its sentence said it considered favorably for Alves that he had “before the trial paid the court 150,000 euros to be given to the victim without any conditions attached.”
Prosecutors were seeking a nine-year prison sentence for Alves. The victim's lawyer wanted 12 years. The defense asked for an acquittal or a one-year prison sentence and compensation for the victim if Alves were found guilty.
“We are satisfied because this verdict recognizes what we have always known, that the victim told the truth and that she has suffered," said David Sáenz, who was part of the victim's legal team.
Inés Guardiola, one of Alves' lawyers, said there are plans to appeal the ruling.
