Dani Alves Granted Release From Jail On €1million Bail

Dani Alves, a former Barcelona defender, has been released from jail on bail of one million euros after serving a quarter of his four-and-a-half-year sentence.

Alves, 40, was found guilty of raping a lady in a Barcelona nightclub in the early hours of December 31, 2022, during a three-day trial last month, and has been detained at Brians 2 Prison in Barcelona since January 2023.

He was also forced to pay a €150,000 (£128,000) fine and was barred from contacting the victim for nine and a half years.

His lawyer, Ines Guardiola, filed an appeal against the verdict, and a Barcelona court granted Alves bail after he paid the £850,000 cost, allowing him to leave prison while awaiting his ultimate sentence.

Ester Garcia, a lawyer for the anonymous victim, turned to Spanish media to criticise the court’s decision, alleging it was an example of ‘justice for the rich.’

Read Also: Dani Alves Is Found Guilty Of R@pe And Sentenced To Prison

“I’m very surprised and totally outraged… because it’s like this is justice for the rich,” Ester Garcia told RAC1 radio in northern Catalonia, describing it as ‘scandalous’ and said the footballer could ‘get hold of a million euros in a heartbeat’.

Alves requested his provisional release earlier this week, stating that he would not ‘run away’ until his ultimate sentence was handed down.

He has already been granted his wish after his lawyers downplayed the possibility of his being a flight risk.

Prosecutors in Alves’ case requested a nine-year sentence and argued that he should not be granted bail owing to concerns that he would flee Spain and return to Brazil.

However, he was given only half of the imprisonment time requested and has since been released, awaiting the outcome of his appeal.

Alves has always maintained his innocence, claiming that his sexual contact with the young woman in the nightclub toilet was consensual.

However, he was fired by Mexican team UNAM Pumas 14 months after his detention.

Alves was married to model Joana Sanz at the time, but she said that she filed for divorce when the sensational allegations against the former Barcelona player surfaced.

Alves was at Barcelona from 2008 until 2016, where he won six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues.

He was taken from their official list of club legends after being convicted of rape.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli