Dani Alves was sentenced to four years and six months for raping a 23-year-old woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.
The Audiencia Nacional in Barcelona stated in a written statement that the victim did not consent to intercourse with Alves and that the victim’s statement and other evidence proved she was raped.
The prosecution wanted nine years while the victim’s lawyers wanted 12. Alves has served 25% of his four-year term on remand and could be released on parole soon.
The 40-year-old was forced to pay €150,000 (£128,00) and €9,000 for her injuries. In addition to being under legal supervision for five years, he will be barred from contact with the victim for nine years and six months.
Alves’ lawyer, Inés Guardiola, said they will appeal.
The verdict implies a shift away from the “victimisation of the victim” that previously placed consent proof on the victim. According to 2022 legislation, “proof of the existence of sexual aggression is not dependent on there being physical injuries nor on the victim putting up a heroic opposition to having sexual relations”.
Vice-president Yolanda Díaz of Spain believed the punishment would serve as an example. This is enough in our country, enough macho and sexual violence that we women suffer in all aspects of life, she remarked.
The Catalan equality minister, Tània Verge, called the Alves case “a milestone”. “It shows that nightclubs’ sexual violence protocols and staff training for immediate response are crucial,” she said.
It shows that trials may safeguard victims and prioritize sexual consent. It shows that impunity is over, regardless of how rich, famous, or powerful the criminals are or how they denigrate victims.
Alves met the woman in Barcelona’s Sutton nightclub’s VIP area on 30 December 2022. He invited her to join him in a restroom, the only club area without cameras, after buying her and her pals a drink.
The victim stated he raped her after she refused oral sex inside. Alves denied meeting the woman but altered his statement many times after forensic and video proof.
Alves won dozens of titles with Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, and PSG and played 126 times for Brazil, including three World Cups. He helped Brazil win two Copa Américas and an Olympic gold.
The defender played with Barcelona from 2008-16, briefly returned in 2022, and lives near the city. Alves’ Pumas contract was terminated after his incarceration.
