Vusumuzi Dube
Former Barcelona and Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault.
Catalonia’s top court found him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in an upscale Barcelona nightclub early on New Years Eve in December 2022.
The victim said Alves raped her in a bathroom. He was also ordered to pay 150,000 euros 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 she danced with Alves and willingly entered the nightclub bathroom the night of the assault, but when she later wanted to leave he would not let her.
She said he slapped her, insulted her and forced her to have sexual relations against her will.
Alves denied any wrongdoing during the trial. As the case was being investigated, Alves said while in custody that he did not have any sexual contact with her.
He later admitted to sexual relations but said they were consensual. He said he had been trying to save his marriage by not admitting to the encounter initially.
During the trial, his defense focused on trying to show that Alves was drunk when he met the woman.
The courts decision can be appealed.- sky.com
Bongani Ndlovu