Brazilian Dani Alves was sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison for rape in Spain

Libya News 24

Brazilian footballer Dani Alves was convicted of raping a woman in the toilet of a Barcelona nightclub in 2022. He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison on Thursday, and will appeal the ruling.

The Supreme Court in the Spanish region of Catalonia ordered Alves, who remained in pretrial detention for more than a year and repeatedly changed his story, to pay 150,000 euros to the victim.

The court said in a statement: “The ruling considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent, and that there is evidence, in addition to the plaintiff’s testimony, to consider rape proven.”

Once his prison term ends, Alves, 40, will be on probation for five years.

A judicial official said that he will soon be able to request leave for short periods from the prison near Barcelona, ​​where he is being held after serving a quarter of his sentence and meeting other requirements.

The court said that in addition to the victim’s testimony, it was considered evidence that she suffered a knee injury after Alves pushed her to the ground, as well as Alves’ behavior and conduct after the event and the fact that she suffered after-effects.

The public prosecutor had asked for a nine-year prison sentence for Alves and the victim had asked for 12 years, but the court imposed a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence, saying that it considered a mitigating factor that he chose to pay compensation to the victim regardless of the punishment. Trial outcome.

Alves’ lawyer, Ines Guardiola, told reporters outside court that her legal team would appeal the ruling. “I still believe Elvis is innocent,” she said, adding that her client is “coping well.”

The victim’s lawyer, Esther Garcia, asked whether it was fair for defendants who had money to be able to pay a reduced sentence. “I reserve the right to take legal action and understand that legally there must be an appeal,” Garcia said.

However, Garcia said her client is convinced Alves is guilty. The victim said, according to Garcia: “In the end, believe me.”

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