Spanish Court overturns Dani Alves’ rape conviction

A Spanish appeals court on Friday overturned the rape conviction of former Brazilian football star Dani Alves, citing significant flaws in the trial process.

The court ruled that the proceedings contained “shortcomings” and “inaccuracies” that affected the case’s outcome.

Alves, 41, had been sentenced to four and a half years in prison in February 2024 for allegedly assaulting a woman in the VIP restroom of a Barcelona nightclub on December 31, 2022. However, he was released last March after paying a one-million-euro ($1.1 million) bail while awaiting his appeal.

The appeals court stated that its four judges “unanimously” approved Alves’ appeal, leading to his conviction being overturned. The court also dismissed the public prosecutors’ appeal, which had sought to increase his sentence to nine years.

The ruling highlighted “a series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and contradictions concerning the facts, the legal evaluation, and its outcomes.”

During the trial, the victim testified behind a screen to protect her identity, stating that Alves had forced her into non-consensual intercourse despite her pleas for him to stop. Prosecutors described her account as one of “anguish and terror.”

Initially, Alves denied knowing the woman but later changed his statement, claiming their encounter was consensual. His legal team argued that the victim had been seen closely dancing with him at the club before the incident.

Dani Alves was a key player for Barcelona’s golden era, winning six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies. He earned 126 caps for Brazil, winning the Copa America twice. Alves also played for top European clubs, including Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

At the time of his arrest, he was under contract with Mexican club Pumas UNAM, which terminated his contract following the allegations.