Dani Alves GUILTY of raping a woman in the club bathroom after a bombastic trial
EX-Barcelona star Dani Alves has been found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub.
The footballer has been sentenced to four and a half years behind bars.
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In a trial held in Barcelona earlier this month, the footballer denied the allegations and said the meeting was consensual.
The trial, held in Barcelona's Audiencia Provincial Court, lasted three days, with the alleged victim, witnesses and experts testifying.
The Brazilian defender was accused of raping a woman at a nightclub in Barcelona on December 30, 2022.
He has previously confirmed he had sex with a woman in the nightclub toilet, but insisted it was consensual.
Alves has been in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.
In a brief statement, the court in Barcelona said on Wednesday that it had summoned “all parties in the Alves case, including the suspect, to appear in court for a so-called “notice procedure”.
His accuser told the prosecutor that she willingly went to the bathroom with him, but he forced her to stay after she tried to leave.
She claims he was aggressive towards her, hitting and insulting her, then forcing her to have sex with him.
During the first day of the footballer's trial, a friend and cousin of his accuser claimed he had also groped them in the VIP area.
The two women claim he then invited their friend, the alleged rape victim, to follow him through a separate door after he flirted with her.
His ex-wife Joana Sanz told the court that Alves Sanz told the court that Alves “smelled of alcohol” and “he bumped into several pieces of furniture and fell on the bed” after returning home the night of the alleged assault.
But she said she didn't want to talk to him because of “the condition he was in.”
Alves has made repeated bail applications but these have all been rejected, with judges saying his alleged victim's version of events was coherent and pointing out that Alves had changed his story several times as evidence authorities have emerged against him.
In an exclusive interview last June from his cell in Brians 2 Prison near Barcelona with Spanish TV and newspaper reporter Mayka Navarro, he claimed: “The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.”
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Timeline of Dani Alves' case
December 30, 2022: A woman claims she was sexually assaulted in the toilets of Sutton nightclub
January 1, 2023: Police in Barcelona investigate an alleged sexual assault at a nightclub involving Dani Alves.
January 5, 2023: Dani Alves' alleged victim files a formal complaint, claiming she was sexually assaulted
CCTV footage shows that Alves was alone in a nightclub toilet with his accuser for 47 seconds
January 20, 2023: Alves was taken into custody by a judge in Barcelona
He initially denies ever meeting his accuser, but later confirms they had sex in the nightclub toilets – but insists it was consensual
January 31, 2023: His wife Joana Sanz, 29, files for divorce
February 8, 2023: It turns out that Alves would receive 'VIP treatment' in prison
March 17, 2023: Alves goes on hunger strike after separating from his wife
November 14, 2023: The footballer is to stand trial for the alleged assault
November 24, 2023: Prosecutors demand nine years in prison and payment of £130,000 to alleged victim if found guilty
February 5, 2024: Alves appears in court in Spain and faces twelve years in prison
February 6, 2024: Joana Sanz testifies in court about a 'drunken' phone call her husband made to her after the alleged assault
February 7, 2024: Alves tells a Spanish court that the meeting was consensual