The Barcelona Court of Appeal announced, Friday, March 28, having canceled the conviction of the ex-star of FC Barcelona Dani Alves at four and a half years in prison for the rape in 2022 of a young woman in a nightclub in Barcelona. The conviction of the former Brazilian international, pronounced in February 2024, was marked by “A series of shortcomings, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and contradictions on the facts, the legal evaluation and its consequences”justifies the court in a press release.
The four court magistrates therefore accepted “Unanimously” the appeal presented by the defense of the former player and ” canceled “ His conviction, according to the press release. They also rejected the appeal of the prosecution, which demanded a more severe sentence of nine years’ imprisonment, the same source said.
Dani Alves, now 41, had been sentenced on February 22, 2024 to four and a half years in prison on February 22, 2024, as well as to pay 150,000 euros to the victim. The court also imposed on him five years of freedom monitored after his release from prison and a ban on approaching his victim for nine and a half years. With the cancellation of his conviction, all these “Conservatory measures” are abandoned, said the Barcelona court of appeal.
Fourteen months in prison
The facts for which the former Barça and PSG player was tried took place on the night of December 30 to 31, 2022, while the ex-right laté was with a friend in a VIP zone of the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona.
According to the indictment, Dani Alves, who had just returned from the World Cup to Qatar, would have offered Champagne to the victim, to his cousin and to a friend and then invited him to follow him in an adjoining room with toilets. He would have had a “Violent attitude” towards the young woman, who experienced a “Situation of anxiety and terror”according to the prosecution. Accusations disputed by the player, who had denied rape during the trial, saying that the young woman had danced “Stuck” to him.
The defense of Alves had however been weakened by his numerous changes of versions: after having said that he had never met the complainant, he had finally recognized during the investigation a sexual relationship, but according to him consented.
The footballer was finally released from prison pending the decision on appeal one month after his conviction on March 25, 2024, after fourteen months spent behind bars, in exchange for a deposit of one million euros.