Former Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in 2022, sentencing him to four and a half years in prison, Catalonia’s top court has ruled.
Catalonia’s top court found him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at an upscale Barcelona nightclub early on New Year’s Eve in 2022.
The victim said Alves raped her in a bathroom. He was also ordered to pay 150,000 euros (£128,479.50) to the victim by the court.
The 40-year-old ex-right-back was arrested in January 2023. He has been detained since then and had requests for bail denied as the court considered him a flight risk.
The Brazilian Federal Constitution guarantees that no Brazilian citizen can be extradited by the country.
State prosecutors were told by the victim that on the night of the assault, she danced with Alves and willingly entered the nightclub bathroom, but when she later wanted to leave he would not let her.
She said he then slapped her, insulted her and forced her to have sexual relations against her will. Alves denied any wrongdoing during the trial, telling the court: “I am not that kind of man.” As the case was being investigated, Alves said while in custody that he did not have any sexual contact with her.
