Dani Alves
Footballer convicted of rape pays bail
Dani Alves crestfallen in court.
© imago/Agencia EFE
After more than a year in custody, Dani Alves is allowed to leave prison until the appeal in the rape case is decided.
After more than a year in custody, Dani Alves (40) is allowed to leave prison. The deposit of one million euros was transferred. This was confirmed by the Barcelona Court of Appeal according to the daily newspaper “La Vanguardia” from the Catalan capital. The Brazilian was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for rape in February 2024; he had previously been in custody since January 2023. His lawyers appealed the verdict. Until a decision is made, the ex-national player is currently at large.
Last week the court decided that Dani Alves could be released on bail of one million. The victim’s lawyer described this as justice for the rich.
Dani Alves is not allowed to leave Spain
The former football star’s representatives only now got the money together. The Champions League winner’s account in Brazil had previously been frozen due to a legal dispute with his ex-wife. In recent years, Alves’ lawyers have let bail payment deadlines pass several times.
Dani Alves now has to surrender both his Spanish and his Brazilian passport as a condition. He is not allowed to leave Spain and must appear in court every week.
The court found it proven in February that Dani Alves raped a then 23-year-old woman in a nightclub in Barcelona in 2022. In the trial, the former FC Barcelona player claimed that the sex was consensual. In 2022, Alves claimed not to know the woman. It was later said that he lied about this in order not to endanger his marriage.