Former football star, Dani Alves, aged 40, has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for a sex offense committed at a nightclub in Barcelona.
Alves was initially detained in January 2023 over the incident, which took place in a toilet of the Sutton nightclub the previous month during the early hours of New Year’s Eve. He was denied bail due to being deemed a flight risk, and he remained in prison until the investigation concluded.
Throughout his trial, Alves maintained his innocence, claiming that the encounter was consensual. However, he was found guilty of rape by Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial Court, which ruled that the victim did not consent to sexual intercourse.
In addition to the prison sentence, Alves has been ordered to compensate his victim with a payment of £128,500 and will undergo five years of probation upon release.
State prosecutors initially sought a nine-year jail term for Alves, while the victim’s lawyers pushed for 12 years behind bars.
During the trial, it was revealed that Alves initially lied about knowing the woman, but later admitted to having sexual relations with her. He explained that he denied knowing the victim out of fear of his wife leaving him.
Alves testified that the woman never indicated a desire to leave and emphasized that she was not obligated to stay.
Witness testimonies portrayed the victim as visibly distressed after the encounter, with police officers noting her anxiety about being believed.
Alves has the option to appeal the court’s decision. He notably served as the oldest player at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.