A court in Spain has found former Brazil national team player, Dani Alves guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub situated in Barcelona.
The 40-year-old in pre-trial detention since January 2023, had denied sexually assaulting the woman in the early hours of December 31, 2022.
The prosecution had asked for a nine-year prison sentence. In Spain, a claim of rape is investigated under the general accusation of sexual assault, and convictions can lead to prison sentences of four to 15 years.
Despite requests made for his acquittal by his lawyer, Spanish media reports that the court took into account Alves’ decision to pay the victim €150,000 in damages no matter the outcome of the trial.
The court did not, however, accept the argument put forward by his lawyers that he should be given a more lenient sentence because he was drunk.