Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at a Barcelona nightclub. The three-judge panel at the Barcelona court sentenced Alves to four years and six months. The 40-year-old athlete denied any wrongdoing during his three-day trial this month. The sentence may be appealed.
Judges ruled that Alves sexually assaulted the woman early in the morning of December 31, 2022. The girl said she was raped in the toilets of an exclusive Barcelona nightclub.
Prosecutors had requested a nine-year prison sentence for the footballer, while lawyers representing the woman sought a 12-year sentence. The defense had instead requested the acquittal of the athlete or, in the event of conviction, a sentence of one year plus compensation of 50,000 euros for the victim.
Alves has been in jail since his arrest on January 20, 2023. His requests for bail were rejected because the court deemed him a flight risk.
Brazil does not extradite its citizens when they are convicted in other countries.
Alves' lawyer: we will appeal the conviction
Footballer Dani Alves' lawyer, Inés Guardiola, said she would appeal the Barcelona court's decision that found the athlete guilty of raping a woman at a nightclub in the Catalan city and sentenced him to four and a half years in prison. prison. The judges also ordered Alves to pay 150,000 euros in compensation to the woman, banning him from approaching her home or workplace and communicating with her by any means for nine years.
