Former Brazilian football star, Dani Alves, has been granted provisional release from jail pending an appeal against his rape conviction, upon posting a hefty bail of one million euros ($1.08 million), according to a Barcelona court’s decision on Wednesday.
The court’s ruling follows a plea from Alves’ legal team, citing his quarter of a four-and-a-half-year sentence served in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.
In exchange for his release, Alves must surrender both his Spanish and Brazilian passports, abide by residency in Spain, and attend weekly court appointments, as stipulated by the court.
Despite objections from public prosecutors, who raised concerns about his potential flight risk, the court approved his release.
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Alves, renowned for his illustrious career with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, faced conviction on February 22 for raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022. The victim, shielded behind a screen during testimony to preserve her anonymity, recounted a harrowing ordeal where Alves allegedly coerced her into sexual intercourse in a private bathroom, despite her pleas for release, causing immense distress and fear, as outlined by prosecutors.
Alves’ defense countered, asserting the victim’s voluntary engagement with the player on the dance floor and citing “sexual tension” between them. However, the court’s comprehensive 61-page ruling refuted any inference of consent, emphasizing that voluntary interaction did not imply consent to subsequent events.
