Dani Alves Released on Bail Following Sexual Assault Conviction

A Spanish court has ruled that former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves can be conditionally released from jail after serving about a quarter of his sentence for rape.

Alves, who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison last month, will be released on a £853,000 bail. He had been held in pre-trial detention since January 2023.

The 40-year-old was found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

The victim’s lawyer called the decision “a scandal”.

The conditions for his release include turning over both his Brazilian and Spanish passports so he cannot leave Spain.

He must also appear before the court on a weekly basis.

The court additionally imposed a restraining order, preventing him from approaching the victim.

The ruling came a day after Alves’ lawyer requested his release on the grounds that he had already served a quarter of his sentence in pre-trial detention following his arrest.

The decision, which was not unanimous due to a dissenting vote from one of the judges, can still be 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.”