(RepublicanDaily.org) – A court in Spain has found Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves guilty of rape, imposing a prison sentence of four years and six months.
The 40-year-old Alves was accused of raping a woman at a nightclub in Barcelona in late 2022. The victim, who was not named, said that Alves sexually assaulted her inside a bathroom of the nightclub. Alves has been detained in Spain ever since, as Brazil does not extradite its citizens who are arrested in other countries.
Alves’ case was the first high-profile incident where Spain’s new “Only yes means yes” law, which emphasizes the need for consent for adult acts. Alves’ lawyer, Inés Guardiola defended her client’s actions, indicating that the intercourse was consensual as security camera footage showed the victim dancing with Alves at the nightclub before the rape took place. Guardiola said that the footage indicated that the victim “showed interest” in Alves, who the defense also said was drunk at the time and was not in full possession of his mental faculties.
The victim affirmed that she did indeed dance with Alves and even willingly entered the bathroom with him, but changed her mind and said that she wanted to leave. The victim said that Alves did not allow her to do so, slapping her and then raping her.
Alves was with Mexican club Pumas at the time of his arrest. The club terminated his contract immediately when the news of the rape charge surfaced.
Alves also changed his statement about the incident during the course of the trial, initially saying that no intimate relations happened between himself and the victim. When he finally admitted that he had relations with the victim, he said that initially denied the act in an attempt to save his marriage.
The soccer star was also ordered to pay $162,000 in damages to the victim, and was barred, for a period of nine years, from approaching or communicating with the victim in any way or approaching her home or place of work. The soccer athlete will also be on probation for five years after he is released from prison.
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