Former footballer Dani Alves, who played for Brazil, will be released from prison as he awaits his appeal against a rape conviction, after posting a bail of one million euros ($1.08 million), according to a Barcelona court on Wednesday.
The decision was made one day after his lawyer asked for the 40-year-old's release, citing that he had already spent a quarter of his four-and-a-half-year sentence in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.
In its ruling, the court granted him temporary release in exchange for the bail payment of 1,000,000 euros, also mandating that he surrender his Spanish and Brazilian passports, stay in Spain, and regularly appear in court.
The public prosecutors objected to his request, claiming he was likely to flee.
Alves, one of the world’s most celebrated footballers who played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, was convicted of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022 and was sentenced on February 22.
His legal team promptly appealed the verdict.
The victim, who testified anonymously, alleged that Alves had forcibly coerced her into having sex in a private bathroom of the nightclub despite her pleas to stop, causing her great distress and fear, according to prosecutors.
Alves' lawyers contended that the victim had been closely connected to the player while dancing at the nightclub, suggesting there was sexual tension between them.
However, in a 61-page decision, the court stated that this did not imply “that she consented to anything that might have subsequently happened”.
AFP
