Former Barcelona and Brazil full-back Dani Alves has been sentenced to 4 and a part years in jail for sexual attack.Alves, 40, used to be arrested by way of native police in January 2023 as a part of an investigation into an alleged sexual attack at a nightclub in Barcelona.The Spanish public prosecutor’s place of job alleged that Alves sexually assaulted a 23-year-old lady at the evening of December 30, 2022, on the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona. He has many times denied the costs towards him.Alves used to be discovered in charge on Thursday morning. He has additionally been sentenced to an additional 5 years of ‘supervised’ freedom upon unlock and has already paid €150,000 (£128k, $163k) to the sufferer plus prison charges.Alves can not keep in touch with the sufferer for 9 years and 6 months, or cross inside of one kilometre of her.Spanish public prosecutors were searching for a nine-year jail time period for Alves.
GO DEEPERDani Alves – from 43 trophies to 4 years in jail“The ruling considers that it’s been confirmed that the sufferer didn’t consent and that there are parts of proof, along with the testimony of the complainant, to grasp rape befell,” the court docket mentioned in a commentary.Ines Guardiola, Alves’ attorney, mentioned she’s going to enchantment the verdict, including: “I nonetheless consider in Mr Alves’ innocence and we can protect it to the tip.“He’s in a single piece. Now we need to find out about the sentence flippantly”.
Hector Vivas/Getty ImagesA member of the sufferer’s prosecution, David Saez, mentioned: “We don’t seem to be glad with the sentence.“We need to imagine whether or not the severity of the sentence is commensurate with the gravity of the information that experience now been confirmed.”Alves, who performed 408 suits for Barca throughout two spells, in addition to 126 instances for Brazil, has been in custody since his arrest on January 20, 2023. Sooner than his trial started on February 5, he were held in a jail to the north west of Barcelona.5 other people testified initially of the trial: the alleged sufferer, her pal, her cousin, a waiter and a doorman from the nightclub. At the day the trial began, Alves’ defence workforce asked that he testify closing and at the trial’s ultimate day.The next day to come noticed 21 witnesses take the stand. Some of the maximum distinguished had been Joana Sanz, Alves’ spouse, and Bruno Brasil, the pal who used to be with the footballer at the evening in query.At the ultimate day in court docket — Wednesday, February 7 — forensic, scientific and mental mavens additionally testified. Alves spoke against the tip of the lawsuits and invoked his proper to be wondered best by way of his attorney and now not by way of the alleged sufferer’s attorney.All over the investigation, Alves has supplied other accounts of the occasions. In a June interview, he confessed to to start with giving false details about the incident.First of all, Alves refuted claims of sexual penetration, claiming that the lady had carried out oral intercourse on him. Alternatively, throughout his 2d testimony sooner than the investigating pass judgement on on April 17 closing yr, he admitted that sexual penetration did happen, however that it used to be consensual. Alves said he had lied in earlier statements in an try to maintain his marriage.
GO DEEPERDani Alves: Complete main points of his rape case as ex-Barca participant is located in charge(JORDI BORRAS/POOL/AFP by the use of Getty Pictures)
