Dani Alves accuser appeals rape conviction overturn

The woman who accuses Dani Alves of raping her appealed on Monday the overturning of the former Brazil and Barcelona star’s conviction that sparked outrage in Spain, her lawyer said.

Alves, 41, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail in February last year after being found guilty of raping a young woman in the VIP bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub on December 31, 2022.

But a Barcelona appeals court overturned the lower court’s ruling on March 28, saying Alves’ trial had inconsistencies and contradictions, and there was insufficient evidence to prove he was guilty.

The complainant’s lawyer Ester Garcia told reporters on Monday that the appeal “was lodged today, which was the last day it could be submitted”.

“For reasons of strategy, the reasons for which we are appealing will not be made public.”

The public prosecutor’s office in the northeastern region of Catalonia announced last week that it would also appeal the ruling.

A demonstration called by feminist groups in reaction to the decision drew hundreds of people in Barcelona last week and members of Spain’s leftist government also weighed in.

Deputy Prime Minister Maria Jesus Montero said it was “a step backwards” and that it was a “shame” the testimony of a rape victim “is still being questioned”.

Alves was kept in jail from his arrest in January 2023 until March 2024, when he was released pending his appeal after he posted the one million euros ($1.1 million) bail set by the courts.

The former right back was a core member of an all-conquering Barcelona team, claiming three Champions League crowns and six La Liga titles with the Catalan giants.

He also won league titles with Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain as well as 126 caps for Brazil in a glittering career.