The Catalonia court has acquitted former Barcelona and Brazil national team defender Dani Alves, who had previously been sentenced to 4.5 years in prison on charges of sexual assault. The footballer spent over a year in pre-trial detention for the alleged rape of a young woman in the restroom of a Barcelona nightclub.
The appellate panel, consisting of three women and one man, concluded that the evidence presented was insufficient to uphold the conviction. The judges specifically pointed out “evaluation deficiencies” that prevented them from fully endorsing the conclusions of the lower court. As a result, priority was given to the presumption of innocence of the accused.
Initially, the High Court of Barcelona had found that Alves engaged in sexual relations without the victim’s consent, based on her testimony. The woman claimed that the footballer invited her to a private room at a nightclub on December 30, 2022. However, during the appeal review, the court noted inconsistencies in her statements.
The alleged victim stated that she felt uncomfortable with the footballer and that he had led her to the restroom. However, surveillance footage from the club indicated that there was a prior agreement between them to enter the restroom separately. The judges emphasized that while this inconsistency did not entirely discredit the accusations, it raised doubts about the reliability of the events as described.
In its ruling, the court stated that the evidence did not allow for a conclusion that would override the presumption of innocence. Consequently, it was decided to overturn the conviction due to insufficient evidence.
