A Spanish Court on Friday has overturned in favour of Former Barcelona and Brazil defender Dani Alves rape conviction which warrants him to undergo four years imprisonment in 2024.
The appeals division of Catalonia’s High Court of Justice agreed unanimously to support the appeal of the 41-year-old man and cleared him of all charges, stating that the evidence against him had” inconsistencies and contradictions.” BBC reports.
It can be recalled that in February 2024, Alves received a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at a nightclub in Barcelona in 2022. The former full-back, who played for the national team 126 times, was released on bail in March 2024 while a higher court reviewed his appeal.
The appeals court stated that the decision made by the original court has many gaps, mistakes, and contradictions in its reasoning about the facts, legal evaluation, and their outcomes. They noted that the complainant’s story needed more careful examination and should have been compared with the fingerprint and biological evidence that backs up the defense’s case.
Moreover, the court ruled that the complainant’s argument that she went with Alves into the bathroom for fear that his friends might follow them did not appear reasonable.
“voluntarily went to the bathroom area for the purpose of being with the defendant in a more intimate space”.
The Catalan court also lifted all restrictions on Alves, including a travel ban and restraining order. However, the decision can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.
“Alves is very happy. He is innocent, that is demonstrated. Justice has spoken,” his lawyer Ines Guardiola told RAC1 radio.
Alves had trophy-laden spells with Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and Paris St-Germain and also helped Brazil win two Copa Americas and an Olympic gold medal at the age of 38.
He was playing for Pumas UNAM when he was arrested, which led to the Mexican club terminating his contract immediately.