Former Barcelona footballer Dani Alves granted conditional release from jail after rape sentence

Former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves has been granted conditional release from jail by a Spanish court after serving approximately a quarter of his sentence for rape.

Alves, who received a four-and-a-half-year prison term last month, will be released on a €1 million bail.

The 40-year-old had been in pre-trial detention since January 2023 after being found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

As part of his release conditions, he must surrender both his Brazilian and Spanish passports to prevent leaving Spain and must appear in court weekly.

A restraining order has also been imposed, prohibiting him from approaching the victim.

The court’s decision to release Alves followed a request from his lawyer, citing his time served in pre-trial detention.

However, the ruling was not unanimous, with one judge dissenting. The decision is subject to appeal.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Alves and a friend had provided champagne to three young women before Alves coerced one of them into a VIP area of the nightclub where the assault took place.

Alves claimed the encounter was consensual, but the court found that the victim did not consent.

Spanish law now emphasizes consent under the “Only Yes is Yes” principle.

The court cited evidence beyond the victim’s testimony to support its ruling, describing how Alves forcefully assaulted the victim despite her objections.

Alves has changed his testimony multiple times, initially denying knowing the accuser, then claiming they had met in the bathroom without any incident, and later alleging they had consensual sex.

Alves, a decorated footballer with extensive experience at Barcelona, Sevilla, Juventus, and PSG, has represented Brazil internationally and was part of their 2022 World Cup squad.

Source-BBC