A court in Spain has ruled that former Barcelona and Brazil defender Dani Alves can be conditionally released from jail after serving a quarter of his sentence for rape.
Alves, who was handed a sentence of four and half years in prison last month, will be released on a €1 million bail.
Dani Alves has been in pre-trial detention since January 2023, after he was heaped with allegations of rape by a lady.
The former Juventus man was found guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub located in Barcelona in December 2022.
The conditions for his release include receding both his Brazilian and Spanish passports to the authorities so he can't exit Spain.
Alves must also be before the court weekly, with the court additionally imposing a restraining order, preventing him from coming in contact with the victim.
The ruling came a day after Dani Alves' lawyer requested for the ex-Barcelona man's release on the premise that he had served a quarter of his sentence in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.
The decision wasn't a unanimous one, as a dissenting vote from one of the judges could see the ruling appealed.
The victim's lawyer, Ester Garcia, said: “To me, it's a scandal that they let a person who they know can get a million euros in no time walk free.”
Speaking with RAC1 radio, Garcia said she was “outraged and dissatisfied” with the decision.
Ester Garcia added that it was a ruling made because of the status of the footballer and she would file an appeal.
Dani Alves' lawyers are yet to wade in on the matter, but it is expected that they could be content with the new decision.
During the trial in February 2024, prosecutors shared that Alves and his friends had bought champagne for three young women.
This was before the footballer lured one of them to a VIP area of the nightclub with a toilet which she wasn't aware of.
They argued that it was at this point he became violent, forcing the Spanish lady to have sex, despite her constant requests to leave.
Alves had insisted that if she wanted to leave she could have left, however, the court found that the lady didn't offer her consent.
Laws in Spain were changed recently to enshrine the importance of consent under the so-called “Only Yes is Yes” principle.
In a statement, the court indicated that there was enough evidence indicting Dani Alves of raping the lady other than the victim's testimony in court.
The statement signified that Alves had “abruptly grabbed the complainant” and threw her to the ground.
The 40-year-old then raped her while preventing her from moving as “the complainant said no and wanted to leave”.
The victim said the rape had put her in “anguish and terror”, and one of her friends who were with her on the night described how the 23-year-old had been in uncontrollable tears after leaving the bathroom.
Dani Alves has shifted his grounds on many occasions during the trial, having first denied that he knew the lady.
Alves later claimed that he had met her in the toilet but that nothing occurred whilst they were there.
Subsequently, he also changed his stance again, saying that they had agreed to have sex, as they were both enjoying themselves.
Dani Alves had a glittering football career winning several trophies, including; 3 UEFA Champions Leagues, 2 Copa America, and 3 FIFA Club World Cups.
The 40-year-old made 869 appearances, scoring 61 goals and providing 178 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Alves made 126 appearances for Brazil, scoring 8 goals and providing 21 assists.
Alves, who was handed a sentence of four and half years in prison last month, will be released on a €1 million bail.
Dani Alves has been in pre-trial detention since January 2023, after he was heaped with allegations of rape by a lady.
The former Juventus man was found guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub located in Barcelona in December 2022.
The conditions for his release include receding both his Brazilian and Spanish passports to the authorities so he can't exit Spain.
Alves must also be before the court weekly, with the court additionally imposing a restraining order, preventing him from coming in contact with the victim.
The ruling came a day after Dani Alves' lawyer requested for the ex-Barcelona man's release on the premise that he had served a quarter of his sentence in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.
The decision wasn't a unanimous one, as a dissenting vote from one of the judges could see the ruling appealed.
The victim's lawyer, Ester Garcia, said: “To me, it's a scandal that they let a person who they know can get a million euros in no time walk free.”
Speaking with RAC1 radio, Garcia said she was “outraged and dissatisfied” with the decision.
Ester Garcia added that it was a ruling made because of the status of the footballer and she would file an appeal.
Dani Alves' lawyers are yet to wade in on the matter, but it is expected that they could be content with the new decision.
During the trial in February 2024, prosecutors shared that Alves and his friends had bought champagne for three young women.
This was before the footballer lured one of them to a VIP area of the nightclub with a toilet which she wasn't aware of.
They argued that it was at this point he became violent, forcing the Spanish lady to have sex, despite her constant requests to leave.
Alves had insisted that if she wanted to leave she could have left, however, the court found that the lady didn't offer her consent.
Laws in Spain were changed recently to enshrine the importance of consent under the so-called “Only Yes is Yes” principle.
In a statement, the court indicated that there was enough evidence indicting Dani Alves of raping the lady other than the victim's testimony in court.
The statement signified that Alves had “abruptly grabbed the complainant” and threw her to the ground.
The 40-year-old then raped her while preventing her from moving as “the complainant said no and wanted to leave”.
The victim said the rape had put her in “anguish and terror”, and one of her friends who were with her on the night described how the 23-year-old had been in uncontrollable tears after leaving the bathroom.
Dani Alves has shifted his grounds on many occasions during the trial, having first denied that he knew the lady.
Alves later claimed that he had met her in the toilet but that nothing occurred whilst they were there.
Subsequently, he also changed his stance again, saying that they had agreed to have sex, as they were both enjoying themselves.
Dani Alves had a glittering football career winning several trophies, including; 3 UEFA Champions Leagues, 2 Copa America, and 3 FIFA Club World Cups.
The 40-year-old made 869 appearances, scoring 61 goals and providing 178 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Alves made 126 appearances for Brazil, scoring 8 goals and providing 21 assists.