Former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves has been found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub, the Spanish court has ruled. Alves, 40, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison and ordered to pay €150,000 to the victim, as well as face five years’ probation. The incident took place in the early hours of December 31, 2022, and Alves has been in pre-trial detention since January 2023.
The court found that Alves, along with a friend, lured the victim to a VIP area of the nightclub under false pretenses before turning violent and forcing her to have sex against her will. Despite Alves’s claims that the encounter was consensual, the court ruled that the victim did not consent and provided evidence supporting her testimony.
Following the recent “Only Yes is Yes” principle, which enshrines the importance of consent in sexual assault cases, Alves’s conviction highlights the evolving laws and attitudes toward sexual consent in Spain.
This case has garnered significant attention due to Alves’s status as one of the most decorated footballers in history. With over 400 appearances for Barcelona and numerous titles to his name, his fall from grace has shocked and saddened fans around the world. Alves’s history as a successful athlete adds complexity and controversy to this high-profile case, sparking discussions about consent, privilege, and accountability in the world of professional sports.
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