Former Barcelona and Brazil defender Dani Alves has been acquitted on appeal after a Spanish court overturned his rape conviction, citing inconsistencies and contradictions in the case against him.
The Catalonia High Court’s appeals division unanimously ruled in favor of the 41-year-old, stating that the original verdict lacked coherence and failed to scrutinize key evidence properly.
Alves had been sentenced to four and a half years in prison in February 2024 for allegedly assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in 2022.
“The complainant’s account should have been subjected to greater scrutiny,” the court ruled, noting that fingerprint and biological evidence aligned more with Alves’ defense than the prosecution.
It also questioned the victim’s claim that she followed Alves into the restroom out of fear, concluding that she entered voluntarily.
With all restrictions lifted, including a travel ban and restraining order, Alves, who was released on bail in March, is now free to leave Spain.
However, the ruling remains subject to a potential appeal at the Supreme Court.
“Alves is very happy. He is innocent, that is demonstrated. Justice has spoken,” his lawyer, Ines Guardiola, told RAC1 radio.
The former full-back, who won major trophies with Barcelona, Juventus, and PSG, was playing for Pumas UNAM at the time of his arrest, leading to the immediate termination of his contract.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
