Ex-Barça footballer Dani Alves sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison for rape – Libération

Sexual violence fileThe former FC Barcelona defender was sentenced this Thursday, February 22 to 4 and a half years in prison for rape. The facts, which the Brazilian continues to deny, occurred on the night of December 30 to 31, 2022 in the toilets of a nightclub.

Former FC Barcelona star Dani Alves was sentenced this Thursday, February 22 to 4 and a half years in prison for rape. The footballer, now aged 40, was tried from February 5 to 7 for the rape of a young woman in the toilets of a VIP room at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona, ​​on the night of December 30 to 31 2022. The prosecution requested a nine-year prison sentence once morest Dani Alves, who has been in pre-trial detention for a year and categorically denies having raped this person. “The victim did not consent and there is evidence which, beyond the testimony of the complainant, allows the rape to be considered proven,” the court wrote in a press release.

This sentence is much lower than that of nine years in prison requested by the prosecution once morest the footballer. Alves, who has been in pre-trial detention for more than a year and will be able to appeal this verdict, was also ordered to pay 150,000 euros to the victim, to 5 years of supervised release once his sentence has been served and to stay away of the plaintiff for nine and a half years. “The court considers as proven the fact that the accused suddenly grabbed the complainant, threw her to the ground and penetrated her vaginally, preventing her from moving, while the complainant said no and wanted go away,” added the court, which had summoned the footballer this Thursday morning to inform him of the verdict.

Alves, 40, was tried two weeks ago for having raped this young woman in the toilets of a VIP room. According to the indictment, the Brazilian, who was then in Barcelona following playing the World Cup in Qatar, was in this nightclub with a friend. After offering champagne to the complainant, her cousin and a friend, he allegedly invited her to accompany him to an adjoining room with a toilet.

«Violent Attitudes»

He would then have had a “violent attitude” towards the young woman, according to the prosecution, who had described a “situation of anxiety and terror” for the young woman. A version corroborated during the trial by the friend and cousin of the complainant. Suffering, according to the public prosecutor, from “post-traumatic stress of generally high intensity”, the victim had testified behind closed doors, in order to protect her identity, and behind a screen to avoid any visual contact with Alves. His voice had been altered and his face pixelated on the recording, intended for the exclusive use of judges, in case it leaked.

Denying having committed rape, the former Brazilian international had, for his part, affirmed in court that this relationship, which he had recognized, was consensual and had refuted any form of violence once morest the complainant. “If she had wanted to leave, she might leave at any time, she did not have to be there,” he declared, assuring that he was “not a violent man”.

Version changes

Alves has contested the facts since the start of the case, but his defense has been weakened by his numerous changes of version. After claiming in a video at the beginning of January 2023 that he had never met the complainant, he justified his lie by explaining that he wanted to protect his marriage, before ending up recognizing a sexual relationship, consensual according to him, with the complainant.

One of the most successful footballers in history, Dani Alves enjoyed the most glorious period of his career at Barça, between 2008 and 2016, winning 23 trophies. The player, who also played for Sevilla (Spain), Juventus Turin (Italy) and Paris Saint-Germain, was playing for the Mexican club Pumas at the time of his incarceration. This club, with which he was under contract until the end of last season, then immediately dismissed him.

Updated at 11:20 a.m. with more information.