Prosecutors to appeal Dani Alves rape case dismissal

Spanish prosecutors are set to appeal a court ruling that overturned the rape conviction of former Brazilian international footballer Dani Alves.

Alves, a three-time Champions League winner with Barcelona, was found guilty last year of raping a young woman in a bathroom of a Spanish nightclub in 2022. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.

However, on Friday, a Barcelona appeals court overturned the initial verdict, citing inconsistencies and contradictions in Alves’ trial.

The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The appeals court also described the accuser as an “unreliable complainant,” stating that her testimony “differed notably” from video footage captured before she and Alves entered the bathroom, where she alleged he forced her into non-consensual sex.

The public prosecutor’s office in Catalonia confirmed in a statement that it plans to challenge the ruling but did not provide further details.

🚨🇧🇷 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 | Dani Alves has been acquitted of a crime of sexual assault. The court considers that the testimony of the young woman is not enough to uphold the conviction of the former footballer, reports @diarioas. pic.twitter.com/WaZz9l7sy7

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 28, 2025

In response to the appeals court’s decision, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Barcelona on Monday in a protest organised by feminist groups. Many carried signs condemning the ruling as “unacceptable” and demanding it be overturned.

Deputy Prime Minister Maria Jesus Montero said that it was a “shame” that the testimony of a rape victim “is still being questioned” and that “presumption of innocence is said to take precedence over the testimony of young, brave women.”

She later apologised on Tuesday, clarifying that she did not intend to “call into question the presumption of innocence.” However, she maintained that the appeals court’s decision to annul Alves’ conviction represented “a step backwards.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has positioned himself as a feminist, has prioritised the fight against sexual violence. His administration reformed the country’s criminal code in 2022, redefining all non-consensual sex as rape.

This legal change came in response to the case of an 18-year-old woman who was gang-raped by five men during the San Fermin bull-running festival in Pamplona.

Alves, now 41, was jailed following his arrest in January 2023. He remained in custody until March 2024, when he was released on bail of one million euros (£853,000) while awaiting the outcome of his appeal.