Ex-Barcelona Star Dani Alves Faces 9 Years for Alleged Nightclub Rape
Spanish Prosecutors Demand Jail and Compensation
Spanish prosecutors want former Brazil legend Dani Alves locked up for nine years. They accuse the 40-year-old ex-Barcelona and PSG star of raping a young woman at Barcelona’s upscale Sutton nightclub in December 2022. Alves has been held in a Spanish jail since his January arrest. Officials are also pushing for him to pay €150,000 (£130,000) in damages to his alleged victim. No trial date has been announced yet.
Alves Denies the Claims, Stands Firm on Consent
Alves has consistently denied the accusations. In a rare June interview with Barcelona’s La Vanguardia, the former full-back insisted, “I have a really clear conscience regarding what happened that night in the bathroom of the VIP area of the Sutton nightclub.” He insists the encounter was consensual and that he did not force the woman in any way.
Initially, Alves denied even knowing the woman during a TV interview after the allegations surfaced. He later admitted to lying out of fear it could ruin his marriage.
Damning Details from the Indictment
The indictment paints a grim picture. Prosecutors allege Alves invited the woman into a small enclosure at the nightclub, which she did not realise was a toilet. Once inside, Alves reportedly showed “violent attitude,” forcing intercourse despite her resistance.
Legal Context and Career Fallout
Spain’s new sexual consent laws, introduced last year, cover offences from online abuse to rape, carrying sentences up to 15 years. Alves is charged under these statutes. At the time, Alves was holidaying in Barcelona after representing Brazil at the World Cup. His Mexican club Pumas UNAM swiftly terminated his contract following the arrest.
