A Spanish court on Thursday found former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub.
Alves has been handed a jail sentence of four years and six months
Eighteen-Eleven Media reports that Alves had earlier denied accusations that he sexually assaulted a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub, claiming she ‘never told me to stop’ and that he’s ‘not that kind of man.’
After two days of listening to testimony from the alleged victim, witnesses, and experts, Alves told a Spanish court that their encounter had been consensual.
His accuser testified that Alves, who won dozens of titles and played for some of the world’s biggest football clubs across an illustrious career, raped her in a bathroom of an upscale nightclub early in the morning of 31 December 2022.
‘I am not that type of man; I am not a violent man,’ Alves said in response to his defence lawyer if he had forced her to have sexual relations.
The alleged victim told state prosecutors that she danced with Alves and willingly entered the bathroom, but that later when she 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.
‘She never told me to stop. We were both enjoying ourselves,‘ Alves said while repeating that the woman never asked to leave or made any indication that she did not want to have sexual relations with him.
He also denied having slapped or insulted her.
State prosecutors sought a nine-year prison sentence for Alves if convicted while the lawyers representing his accuser wanted 12 years.
His defence asked for an acquittal, or if found guilty a one-year sentence plus 50,000 euros (£42,000) compensation for the victim.
Eighteen-Eleven Media