A Spanish court on Thursday sentenced former Brazil international Dani Alves to four and a half years in prison after finding him guilty of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022. "The victim did not consent and there is evidence that, beyond the complainant's testimony, permits the rape to be considered proven," the Barcelona court wrote in a statement. Alves, who testified at his trial that the sex with the woman was consensual, can appeal. Alves, who was present in court throughout his three-day trial, testified that his sexual encounter with the woman was consensual and denied hitting her and grabbing her hair. Alves' friend who was with him that night testified the football player drank wine and whisky before going to the nightclub.

Source: The Express Tribune February 22, 2024 16:14 UTC