Dani Alves’ rape conviction overturned by Spanish court on appeal

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The Independent

·28 March 2025

Dani Alves’ rape conviction overturned by Spanish court on appeal

A Spanish court has overturned Dani Alves’ conviction of rape on appeal.

The top court in Spain's Catalonia region said they had found "inconsistencies and contradictions" in the original ruling.

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Alves, the former Barcelona and Brazil star, was found guilty in February 2024 of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison, but was released in March 2024 on a €1m bail while waiting for his appeal to be heard.

Alves denied wrongdoing during the three-day trial, claiming sex with the woman was consensual. Alves may now leave the country after the court lifted a travel ban.

The judges in the appeals court ruled unanimously to overturn his conviction and said the testimony of the alleged victim lacked reliability.

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