Former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves has been convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in a Spanish nightclub, resulting in a sentence of four and a half years in prison, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The 40-year-old was initially arrested in January 2023 on charges of “sexual assault with penetration.” Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the trial, Alves has now been found guilty. His lawyer had advocated for his acquittal.
In addition to the prison sentence, Alves has been ordered to pay his victim £128,000 and has been subjected to a nine-and-a-half-year restraining order. He has the option to appeal the verdict.
Since his arrest, Alves had been held in custody at the Brians 2 Prison in Barcelona. During the three-day trial at the Audiencia Provincial Court in the city, Alves testified on the final day to assert his innocence.
Judicial officials stated, “Daniel Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being convicted of sexual assault,” adding, “The court also ordered him to stay away from his victim for nine and a half years and determined he should pay his victim 150,000 euros and pay costs.”
The verdict highlighted that the victim did not consent, and evidence supported her testimony, leading to the conviction for rape.
In an exclusive interview from his prison cell at Brians 2 Prison last June, Alves expressed remorse to Spanish television and newspaper reporter Mayka Navarro, stating, “The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.”
During his illustrious career, Alves represented clubs such as Barcelona, Sevilla, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain. He won six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies with Barcelona before securing the Serie A title with Juventus.
