Dani Alves 40, who played as a side defender for Brazil’s national soccer team and Spain’s prestigious club Barcelona, was found guilty of sexual assault and was jailed.
On December 31, 2022, a Spanish court sentenced Alves to four and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman at a Barcelona nightclub.
The three-judge bench found Alves guilty under a new “sexual freedom law” that states that victims’ consent is crucial in determining sex crimes in Spain, the Associated Press reported.
The court also ordered Alves to pay 150,000 euros about 216.05 million won in compensation to the victim and to prohibit him from accessing the victim’s home or workplace or contacting her in any way for nine years.
“I still believe in his innocence,” Alves’ attorney said, “and of course I will appeal.”
On the other hand, the victim’s legal representative welcomed the ruling, saying, “I am satisfied. This is because we acknowledged what we always knew: that the victim told the truth and that she suffered.”
Alves, who was on vacation in Barcelona, Spain, after participating in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, is accused of raping a victim in a nightclub bathroom in the early morning hours of December 31, 2022.
Alves, a married man at the time, initially denied sexual contact. However, he later admitted sexual intercourse but claimed that it was agreed upon.
The court determined that the evidence presented that the victim did not agree to sexual intercourse and was raped in addition to the defendant’s testimony was valid.
“I’m not that kind of man,” Alves told the court in a three-day trial this month, denying the rape charges.
The prosecution demanded a nine-year prison sentence.
The four-and-a-half-year sentence Alves received this time is close to the lowest sentence of a rape conviction, and Spanish law can sentence rapists to four to 12 years.
Alves is one of the best right wingbacks in the world at the time, playing in 126 A matches eight goals for Brazil. He also played in the round of 16 against Korea at the Qatar World Cup.
In particular, he played 431 games in Barcelona alone, winning six Spanish La Liga titles, four Copa del Rey titles, and three UEFA Champions League titles.
He has played for prestigious clubs such as Sevilla, Barcelona Spain, Juventus Italy, Paris Saint-Germain France, and Sao Paulo Brazil with 42 trophies. 스포츠중계
Alves tried to burn the last flame at club UNAM in Mexico. However, the club terminated his contract soon after the alleged sexual assault.
