Former Brazilian footballer, Dani Alves was given a four-and-a-half year prison sentence after being found guilty of sexual assault. Alves has however, already served more than a year of this sentence.
Alves, who at first would not acknowledge having intercourse with the victim, altered his story five times during the trial. He then admitted to doing it but lying in order to conceal the adultery from his wife.
The prosecutor first pushed for a nine-year term, arguing that the nature of the offense and Spain’s recently passed consent laws following a gang-rape case in 2022, rendered 4.5 years insufficient.
His lawyer requested for his release on the grounds that the 40-year-old had already spent a quarter of his four-and-a-half-year sentence in pre-trial custody after his arrest in January 2023.
Alves was found to be a no-flight risk and incapable of deleting evidence, which led to the Spanish court’s decision. A 1,000-meter restraining order had also been obtained against him by his victim.
As a result of the judicial system freezing Dani Alves’ accounts, it appeared that the fullback would not be able to afford the bail amount.
However, ‘La Vanguardia’ reported that Neymar’s father will be responsible for making the one million euro bail payment, which will free the former football player from prison.
He will be released on bail as soon as Neymar’s father deposits the money and a new order is issued authorising it.
After his conviction, Barcelona removed Alves’s status as a “club legend” from their website.
