KUALA LUMPUR – Former Brazil and Barcelona rightback Dani Alves is sentenced to four and a half years in prison for raping a 23-year-old woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.
In a written statement the National Court in Barcelona, it is understood that the victim did not consent to sex with Alves and that evidence presented to the court, in addition to the victim’s statement, proved that she had been raped.
Alves denied any wrongdoing and is expected to appeal the decision.
Meanwhile, the prosecution had demanded a nine-year sentence while the victim’s legal team asked for 12.
However, Alves’s sentence is barely more than the minimum of four years and because he has already completed a quarter of his sentence on remand, he could soon be released on license.
At the same time, the 40-year-old former Champions League winner was ordered to pay compensation of €150,000 (about RM907,500) and a further €9,000 for her injuries.
He will be under legal supervision for a further five years as well as having a restraining order banning him from contact with the victim for nine years and six months.
It is understood that Alves met the woman in the VIP area of the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona on December 30, 2022 and after buying her and her friends drinks, he asked the victim to join him in a bathroom, the only area of the club not covered by cameras.
Once inside, the victim said he demanded oral sex and when she refused, he raped her. Alves initially denied meeting the woman, then changed his story several times when presented with forensic and video evidence.
Alves has won dozens of titles with clubs including Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain and played 126 times for Brazil, including at three World Cups. He helped Brazil to win two Copa Américas and an Olympic gold medal.
The defender played for Barcelona from 2008-16, briefly rejoined the club in 2022 and still has a residence near the city. Alves was with the Mexican club Pumas when he was arrested and immediately had his contract terminated. – February 22, 2024
