Dani Alves sentenced to four and a half years in prison

Spain Former PSG and Barca defender Dani Alves has been sentenced to four years and six months for raping a 23-year-old woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

Prosecutors had asked for a nine-year prison sentence, while the complainant's lawyer asked for 12 years for Alves. However, the Brazilian defender was given a lighter sentence, with the sentence being just four years above the minimum. In addition, having already served more than a year in prison, Alves could soon be released on parole.

The former PSG and Barca defender must also pay €9,000 ($9,700) in material damages to the victim, and is offering €150,000 in compensation - an amount the court considered a mitigating factor when sentencing him. Alves will be placed under judicial supervision for another five years and will be banned from contacting the victim for nine years and six months.

Dani Alves during a trial at the Barcelona Court in early February. Photo: AP

Alves' lawyer, Ines Guardiola, disagreed with the verdict, saying he still believes his client is innocent and will appeal. "We haven't read the whole verdict because it's very long, but we will study it in detail. We defend his innocence," the lawyer said.

Meanwhile, the complainant's attorney, David Saenz, was pleased that the sentence recognized that his client had told the truth and suffered greatly after the incident. Saenz added that they would still analyze whether the sentence was commensurate with the severity of the crime.

Tania Verge, Catalonia's minister for gender equality, called the case a milestone. "It shows that trials can proceed with full protection for the victim. And no matter how rich, famous or powerful the perpetrator is, no matter how much they try to discredit the victim, they will not get away with it," Verge said.

According to the victim's testimony, despite her resistance, Alves still forced her to have sex in the bathroom of the VIP area at Sutton nightclub, Barcelona on the evening of December 30. She was then taken to the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, where she was tested for biological evidence.

Alves is the second most successful player in football history with 43 collective titles (one less than Lionel Messi), including one with Bahia (Brazil), five with Sevilla (Spain), 23 with Barca (Spain), two with Juventus (Italy), five with PSG (France), one with Sao Paulo (Brazil) and six with the Brazilian national teams. The Brazilian defender played for UNAM in Mexico from the summer of 2022, but the club terminated his contract after his arrest.

Hong Duy

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