BARCELONA, Spain, Feb 22, (AP): Soccer star Dani Alves on Thursday was found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub and sentenced to four years and six months in prison.
A three-judge panel at the Barcelona Provincial Court convicted the 40-year-old former Brazil and Barcelona defender of assault for the incident on Dec. 31, 2022.

The court also ordered Alves to pay 150,000 euros ($162,000) in compensation to the victim, banned him from approaching the victim’s home or place of work and from communicating with her by any means for nine years.
Alves was summoned to the courthouse to receive the verdict and sentence. Alves’s lawyer, Inés Guardiola, said she will appeal the decision. The victim’s lawyer, Ester García, said this week that she and her client would not be present for the verdict.

The victim said Alves raped her in a nightclub on the morning of Dec. 31, 2022. The court considered it proven that the victim did not consent and there was evidence, in addition to the defendant’s testimony, that she was raped.

Alves denied during the three-day trial this month that he raped the woman, testifying to the court "I am not that kind of man.”
State prosecutors had sought a nine-year prison sentence for Alves while the lawyers representing his accuser wanted 12 years. His defense asked for his acquittal, or if found guilty a one-year sentence plus 50,000 euros ($54,000) compensation for the victim.
The state prosecutor’s office said Thursday that they would study the verdict and then consider whether to appeal.