A Spanish court has sentenced the famous football player Dani Alves to four and a half years in jail for raping a woman in a club in Barcelona. According to the Brazilian legend who has won so many awards in football, he said he didn't do it. His lawyer is beginning some process to challenge the decision of the court.
According to The woman's lawyer, she was of the opinion that the woman was telling the truth and was happy with the court's decision. A probation of five years for the Brazilian after he must have served his jail time is something the court suggested.
The court could have given him up to 15 years in jail for sexual assault, but they decided on a shorter time partly because Alves agreed to pay the woman money for what happened.
The court didn't agree with Alves' lawyers who said he should get a lighter sentence because he was drunk. His wife said he was very drunk that night, but the court said that didn't excuse his actions.
The prosecutors said Alves and a friend gave champagne to three women and then took one to a private area of the club without her knowing what would happen. They said Alves then forced her to have sex even though she said no.
According to findings from the court, the woman didn't consent to have sex, which is very important because in Spanish law , sex without consent is rape.
Alves has been in jail since January 2023 and has told different stories about what happened. He first said he didn't know the woman, then said they met but nothing happened, and later said they had sex but it was with her agreement.