Catalonia’s top court on Thursday found former Brazil footballer Dani Alves guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in 2022, sentencing him to 4½ years in prison.
The court also ordered that Alves pay €150,000 to the victim.
"The sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent, and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven," the court said in a statement.
Alves had maintained the sex was consensual. The prosecutor was seeking a nine-year prison term.
Five Things We Learned from GAA Weekend: FRC have done a lot right but some rules need binning
Alarm bells are ringing about GAA hooters - good thing there’s an easy solution
Ireland v France: What time is kick-off and what TV channel is it on?
Who is Clayton McMillan and what can Munster fans expect from new coach?
The 40-year-old former Barcelona defender was arrested in January last year and has been held on remand since.
The case has attracted significant attention not only because of Alves' profile but because gender violence has become an increasingly dominant topic in Spain's public discourse.
It is one of the most high-profile trials in Spain since a law passed in 2022 made consent a key element in sexual assault cases and increased minimum prison time for assaults involving violence. – Reuters
