Spanish prosecutors announced on Wednesday that they would appeal a court ruling that overturned the rape conviction of former Brazil international footballer Dani Alves. The decision has sparked criticism from government officials and women’s rights groups.
Alves, who won the Champions League three times with Barcelona, was initially convicted last year for raping a young woman in the VIP bathroom of a nightclub in Barcelona in 2022. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail. However, a Barcelona appeals court overturned the conviction on Friday, citing inconsistencies and contradictions in the trial. The court also found insufficient evidence to prove Alves’ guilt.
The appeals court criticized the accuser, calling her testimony “unreliable,” especially since it differed significantly from video footage recorded before she and Alves entered the bathroom, where she claims the footballer sexually assaulted her.
The public prosecutor’s office in Catalonia has expressed its intention to challenge the ruling, although it did not provide further details on the appeal.
In response to the court’s decision, hundreds of people participated in protests in Barcelona on Monday, organized by feminist groups. Demonstrators held signs denouncing the court’s decision as “unacceptable” and called for it to be overturned.
Deputy Prime Minister Maria Jesus Montero criticized the ruling, calling it a “shame” that a rape victim’s testimony was questioned, stressing that the “presumption of innocence should not take precedence over the bravery of young women testifying against sexual violence.” On Tuesday, she apologized for her comments, clarifying that she did not intend to challenge the presumption of innocence but reaffirmed her concern that the ruling was a “step backwards” for the fight against sexual violence.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who prioritizes the fight against sexual violence, has supported legal reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s laws on rape. These reforms were introduced in 2022 following a highly publicized gang rape case during the San Fermin bull-running festival in Pamplona.
Alves, 41, had been in jail since his arrest in January 2023 but was released in March 2024 after posting a one-million-euro ($1.1 million) bail while his appeal is ongoing.
