Ex-Barcelona star Dani Alves sentenced to four years in jail

A Spanish court on Thursday found former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub, BBC reports.

Alves, who is one of the most decorated footballers in history, has been handed a jail sentence of four years and six months.

He was also ordered to pay the victim €150,000.

The 40-year-old had denied sexually assaulting the woman on December 31, 2022.

Alves has been in custody since January 2023, following unsuccessful bail requests.

According to Goal.com, prosecutors sought a nine-year jail term.

His lawyer had asked for him to be acquitted and Alves could appeal against the sentence.

BBC reports that Alves was accused of luring the woman to a toilet in a VIP section of the nightclub and claimed that she could have left if she wanted to.

Nevertheless, the court determined that she did not give consent.

According to prosecutors, Alves and his friend purchased champagne for three young women, then requested one of them to go with him to a different area with a toilet that she was not aware of.

They claimed he became aggressive and proceeded to engage in sexual activity with the woman against her wishes.

The court also said that there was additional evidence supporting the victim’s claim of being raped beyond her testimony.

Alves made over 400 appearances for Barcelona, securing six league titles and three Champions League trophies during his two stints with the team.

He was a member of Brazil’s team for the 2022 World Cup.

In Spain, charges of rape are looked into under the general heading of sexual assault, and those found guilty face terms ranging from four to fifteen years in jail.

According to BBC News, the law was changed recently to enshrine the importance of consent under the “Only Yes is Yes” principle.