- Former Brazil and Barcelona star Dani Alves jailed for sexual assault
Former Brazil and Barcelona defender Dani Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in a nightclub in 2022.
The Catalonia Supreme Court upheld the verdict of a lower court that found Alves guilty of forcing himself on the victim, who was 23 years old at the time, in the bathroom of a popular club in Barcelona.
The court rejected Alves’ claim that he had consensual sex with the woman, who testified that he grabbed her by the neck, pushed her against the wall, and raped her.
The judges said that Alves, who was 39 years old when the incident occurred, took advantage of the woman’s vulnerability and intoxication, and acted with “a clear intention of satisfying his sexual desires without regard for her will”.
The court also ordered Alves to pay 15,000 euros ($17,000) in compensation to the victim, and banned him from approaching her for 10 years.
Alves, who won 118 caps for Brazil and six La Liga titles with Barcelona, has the right to appeal to the Spanish Supreme Court. He has been in custody since January 2020, when he was arrested after returning to Spain from Brazil, where he played for Sao Paulo.
Alves’ lawyer said that he was “disappointed” by the ruling and that he would continue to fight for his client’s innocence.
The case has sparked outrage and debate in Spain, where a law passed in 2022 made consent a key element in sexual assault cases and increased minimum prison time for assaults involving violence.
The law was inspired by the infamous “wolf pack” case, in which five men were initially convicted of sexual abuse, rather than rape, for gang-raping a teenager during the 2016 Pamplona bull-running festival.
The verdict was later overturned by the Supreme Court, which ruled that the men had used intimidation and violence, and sentenced them to 15 years in prison each.
The “wolf pack” case triggered massive protests across Spain and prompted calls for a reform of the country’s sexual violence laws.
Many women’s rights groups and activists have welcomed the new law, which they say provides more protection and justice for victims of sexual assault.
However, some critics have argued that the law is too vague and subjective, and that it could lead to false accusations and convictions.
